Thirty Years Leading the Way in Fairfax and Beyond

WOW! It's hard to believe it has been 30 years since w

e convened the first class of the Leadership Fairfax Signature Program . What started as a vision within the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce has become a dream come true as we have  matured into a prestigious organization with over 1700 committed and engaged alumni, who are now serving as community leaders in a variety of ways.

Many alumni have grown their professional careers while giving back as volunteers and leaders within our nonprofit community and with local government agencies. We are proud to call the Fairfax County Executive, the Sheriff, the Police Chief, and countless captains of industry among our own.   

As we come together to celebrate our successes, and there are many, we are also launching an expanded mission. I like to think of it as Leadership Fairfax 2.0. While we continue to offer high quality experiences through our LFI, ELI and LLP Leadership Development programs, we are expanding our efforts to bring leaders from all sectors to the table to build and maintain the strongest community possible.  

To that end, Leadership Fairfax is engaging our alumni in community conversation around issues that require a new way of thinking and collaboration to find solutions. We are playing the role of facilitator and in other cases the convener. As an example, we have Leadership Fairfax alumni at the table for discussions about public safety, SCYPT (Successful Children and Youth Policy Team) and the development of an Opportunity Neighborhood in Reston.  In addition, we have facilitated meetings and retreats of the Fairfax County School Board and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and others modeling solution-based conversations. Much of what we want to accomplish is in the planning stages, so stay tuned to this E-news for updates and information on how to engage.  

 

" Thirty years is a long time," David Birtwistle reflects, as early morning light streams through the windows of the Leadership Fairfax office. It's been three decades since the very first Leadership Fairfax Institute class gathered for their first session, ready to take their career to the next level. Birtwistle, now currently serving on the Board of Directors, was a student of the 1988 class and has a unique professional background spanning public, private and nonprofit sectors.

Birtwistle's journey to serving the Fairfax community began in his native state of Rhode Island. During his senior year at Providence College, a congressional internship brought him to the Washington, D.C area. His graduate studies at American University relocated him permane ntly. His network at AU brought him into the fold of Fairfax County government, and in 1987 he was working in the office of the Economic Development Authority and active in the chamber, where Leadership Fairfax was created.

"I was familiar with quite a few of the people who were on the organizing board for that first year, so I contacted them and asked, 'Is this a program that I might benefit from participating in?' They encouraged me to participate so I applied and was accepted in the first year's program." Birtwistle then joined 28 other students who are still in touch. [Continued below...]