The Falls Church Insider All About the City of Falls Church, Virginia, For & By The Folks Who Live & Work There

My first attempt to volunteer for an elected position in the City didn’t go quite as I’d planned.

Last night, at the annual meeting of the Falls Church Cable Access Corporation, the results of the recent election were announced. I was running for one of the two open seats on the board of directors, along with Chip Hailey, an incumbent board member who has lived in Falls Church all his life (his father was even mayor for 10 years) and has been on the board since 1993, and Matt Smith, president of SmithGifford Advertising and 2008 recipient of the Pillar of the Community Award.

Stiff competition.

The votes were tallied, and Chip came in with 90-something, Matt with 70-something, and I grabbed a respectable 50-something.  I took it all in stride, and I agree with Matt’s sentiment: what was important is that there was an election.  It really seemed to re-energize the corporation, inspire a new wave of members, and generate a lot of interest in what the purpose of the organization is.

It was a good learning experience for me as well.  It was an opportunity to see how the City operates and how campaigning here works.  I got a chance to talk with members, learn about the corporation, and share some ideas for where I think FCCTV can go.  Bob Morrison, a long-time board member who decided to step down, told me afterward that he lost his first bid for a board seat.

I’ve been encouraged to apply for one of the appointed seats, which I plan to do.  If that goes well, I might have a chance to participate on the board after all.  Either way, I hope to help out with the organization however I can.  I think there’s tons of potential for FCCTV to do great things for the students, residents, and City as a whole.