The Great Falls Citizens Association will hold a membership meeting on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at 7 p.m. to present its board slate and accept nominations. According to the Bylaws of the Great Falls Citizens Association, revised April 20, 2021, "Nominations may be made from the floor at the May membership meeting provided that the nominees so nominated consent in person or in writing and are GFCA members in good standing."
Additionally, Article 4, Officers and Directors, Executive Board, states, "The GFCA shall be governed and managed by an elected Executive Board comprised of seventeen (17) members: five (5) officers and twelve (12) at-large directors." The five officers are president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and officers committee, which is chaired by the president and includes the GFCA officers.
The GFCA Nominating Committee nominated candidates for positions on the Executive Board: Chris Rich for president, Rick Solano for vice president, and Jim Trent for treasurer. The committee did not nominate anyone for secretary.
The committee nominated six candidates as at-large directors: Jennifer Falcone, Gordon Harri, Matt Truong, Richard Wolfe, Lisa Schlecht, and Mark Douma. That leaves six at-large director vacancies.
New board members and officers will be elected on June 20, 2023. The election site will be announced at a later date.
According to its charter, the GFCA serves "as a community organization to promote all aspects of community interest accruing to the common good and, in general, to preserve Great Falls' historic, low-density, semi-rural character and its natural resources."
Because Great Falls is not an incorporated municipality like the Town of Vienna, the Town of Herndon, or the City of Fairfax, it lacks a town or city government to represent local interests.
On these issues, GFCA acts unofficially to represent the voices of Great Falls citizens and works with county, state, and national governments to get things done. GFCA addresses issues such as traffic, zoning, retail, schools, parks and the environment.
GFCA representatives testify at public meetings of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on issues affecting the Great Falls community.
According to Bill Canis, president of the GFCA, examples of recent GFCA supervisorial testimony and comments have included the following positions on matters, "In favor of a Dark Sky Preserve at Turner Farm Park; opposed to the monopole at the corner of Beulah Road and Rt 7; opposed to changing the comprehensive plan to permit a grocery store at the intersection of Rt 7 and Springvale Road; provided comments on parts of the zMod ordinance that GFCA opposed, and lack of full public comment periods; and called on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to update tree protection and canopy procedures to limit the amount of clearcutting that can take place during residential and commercial development."
Additionally, GFCA has worked extensively with Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville) on seeking a one-lane bridge on Springvale Road and other issues.