 | Dear MCA Members:
I was honored to have been elected as your new MCA President at the annual membership meeting on May 22. For those that don’t know me, I have been the MCA First Vice President for a number of years and the Chair of the MCA Transportation Committee.
The MCA members also elected a dedicated and skilled group of officers and directors. I look forward to working with them to continue MCA’s great work of the past 112 years: (1) providing credible, well-considered, and non-partisan recommendations on critical issues to local elected officials and county staff and (2) hosting informative events where residents can hear from and question local officials and staff on matters affecting their daily lives. We will continue to work hard to represent the interests of residents in the greater McLean area and to help improve their quality of life.
At the most recent meeting of the MCA Board of Directors on June 3, the Board elected a talented slate of committee chairs, vice chairs and liaisons to outside organizations. The letters and resolutions we issue and the public information meetings we hold are a direct result of the hard work of our committees and liaisons, and I appreciate the civic engagement of all committee and liaison members. If you are not a member of an MCA committee, I encourage you to join a committee; you can reach out to the chairs using the contact information on the Committees - Overview page of the MCA website.
I look forward to working for you – and with you – in the upcoming year. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at president@mcleancitizens.org.
Respectfully,
Glenn Harris, President
McLean Citizens Association
|  | | MCA members vote to approve the slate of MCA board and officer nominees presented by Nominating Committee Chair Bob Perito. |  | | MCA Executive Committee members thanked outgoing President Camille White-Partain and presented her with a bouquet before posing for photographs. From left to right, Treasurer Bill Crosby, Corresponding Secretary Hilde Kahn, President Camille White-Partain, 2nd Vice President Steve Donovan, 1st Vice President Glenn Harris, Recording Secretary Rick Fry, and unofficial Historian (not an Executive Committee member), Merrily Pierce. | | |
2026 MCA Annual Meeting
Introducing MCA's 2026-2027 Board Members
The 2026 MCA Nominating Committee, chaired by MCA Board member Bob Perito, reported out thirty nominations for the MCA Board of Directors for the May 19, 2026 election ballot. The Committee met fourteen times, and in making its decisions took into account each individual applicant's experience and qualifications, as well as the geographic distribution of Board members within the McLean Planning District. This year’s nominees to the MCA Board included two new Officers and seven new Directors. At the annual meeting, MCA membership approved the nominated slate in its entirety.
MCA membership also approved the slate (scroll down to page 2) of four nominees, which included no returning Trustees, for the MCF Board of Trustees.
Brief biographies of the 2026 MCA Officers and Directors and 2026 MCF Trustees are available at this link.
Dranesville Supervisor Addresses MCA Membership at Annual Meeting
President White-Partain introduced Dranesville Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, noting that he needs no introduction. To cheers, Supervisor Bierman began his remarks by pronouncing the idea of a casino in Fairfax County "dead." After repeating, "it's dead, it's dead, it's dead," the Supervisor said that if it ever comes back to life, he'd "kill it again" with the community's help.
Commenting on the recently adopted Fairfax County FY2027 budget, the Supervisor noted that there were $42M in spending cuts, but that the property tax rate had been reduced by 0.25 cents per $100 of assessed value because the office vacancy rate had stabilized.
The Supervisor stated that 51.2% of the County budget goes to Fairfax County Public Schools. He noted that the middle school after-school program was preserved, with the implementation of a sliding scale fee, similar to the School Aged Child Care (SACC) program. He also noted an increase in the facilities maintenance budget.
He acknowledged that the Northern Virginia economy is continuing to face “strong headwinds," but was pleased that police and fire vacancy rates are both down. Because housing is the biggest economy issue, the Board of Supervisors committed to build more housing, and intends to examine various proposals for achieving those goals.
Supervisor Bierman also advised that he had requested, and the county auditor had recently completed, an audit to examine issues with the County's approval process for active transportation projects (e.g., sidewalks and pedestrian intersection improvements). The auditor made five recommendations to resolve issues that include money languishing unspent for years and a lack of consistency among projects. Recommendations include implementation of a project management system and a project delivery guide, with the aim of improving timelines, accountability, and coordination.
| MCA Honor Roll:
Honoring Long-Time MCA Members
Correction: The following member was omitted from last month's list of long-time members due to a computer input error. |
15 Years
Patrick Smaldore
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McLean Day is a McLean tradition and a special day for MCA. We greet old members, meet new ones, and celebrate our Outstanding Teens (see article below).
Pictured at left is No Casino Liaison Linda Walsh and member Yuhuan Chen. At right, Board member Martin Smith and member Brian Shahkarami.
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Standing with friends and family members of the late John J. Adams: Second from left, former Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust; fourth from left, Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman; in center, holding Board of Supervisors resolution, Karen Washburn; third from right, incoming MCA Environment, Parks & Recreation Chair Merrily Pierce; second from right, State Delegate Rip Sullivan; far right, MCA President Glenn Harris. (Not pictured: Kate Hanley).
| Bridge Renamed for John J. Adams
On June 1st, MCA President Glenn Harris and incoming MCA Environment, Parks and Recreation Committee Chair Merrily Pierce attended a dedication to officially rename the Georgetown Pike bridge over Difficult Run the John J. Adams Memorial Bridge.
John J. Adams, who died last year, was a member of MCA from 1971 to 2019 and made many contributions to the McLean and Great Falls communities. This included getting Georgetown Pike classified as a scenic and historic byway and preserving Scotts Run.
Supervisor Jimmy Bierman read a resolution from the Board of Supervisors (BoS) that supported the renaming of the Bridge. Delegate Rip Sullivan spoke of his personal relationship with John and John's many civic accomplishments. Also in attendance were former Supervisor John Foust and former BoS Chairman Kate Hanley. | | Pictured: MCA Education and Youth Committee Chair Doug Taylor; Congressman James Walkinshaw; Grace Yuan; Brendan Wheeler; Luke Swigart; Emily Rakowski, mother of Micah Rakowski; Nathan Pearce; Sarah Li; Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman; MCA President Camille White-Partain (not pictured: Micah Rakowski and Luca Sanchez). | Announcing the Recipients of the 2026 MCA Outstanding Character Award for Teenagers
MCA is proud to announce the seven recipients of its 28th annual Outstanding Character Award for Teenagers, an award created to recognize teens who, on their own and without compensation or formal recognition, cared for elderly relatives or younger siblings, or helped out in their neighborhood or anywhere in the Greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area. MCA 's Education and Youth (E&Y) Committee selected the winners from the most deserving candidates, and Committee Chair Doug Taylor, joined by outgoing MCA President Camille White-Partain, Dranesville Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, and Congressman James Walkinshaw, recognized them at a McLean Day award ceremony on Saturday, May 16th at 1:30 pm.
We congratulate the following seven outstanding teens and hold them up as examples for others to follow:
Sarah Li - Junior at McLean High School
Sarah, along with fellow awardee Grace Yuan, co-founded Pieces of Illumination, a student organization to help children and seniors with autism. She organizes weekly visits to Pediatric Therapy Studio to coordinate about 7-8 students who engage directly with children through play, social interaction, and supportive activities such as games and coloring. She has helped organize multiple donation drives, providing dozens of puzzles that help the children have fun while practicing fine motor and problem-solving skills. She has expanded the program to 8 autism centers, 3 senior centers, and 4 high-need schools. Sarah’s work consistently reflects empathy, responsibility, and a strong commitment to service. She demonstrates genuine care by encouraging those with autism, supporting them through challenges and celebrating their successes. She has also been a leader in introducing over 100 girls to competitive math, opening their eyes to future opportunities.
Nathan Pearce – Junior at McLean High School
Last summer Nathan was a volunteer percussion instructor and facilitator at Northern Virginia’s largest summer band camp for rising 4th through 9th grade students. He provided assistance to students and staff by providing thoughtful feedback and musical insight for young musicians. As a percussionist, Nathan carried the additional responsibility of helping manage equipment. A wide variety and large number of instruments are required in specific set ups across multiple locations, and Nathan helped ensure that those details were carefully managed while also caring for the maintenance of the instruments so that future generations of students can enjoy the same resources he does. He never left a rehearsal without checking to ensure that everything was taken care of, no matter how long the day had been. Also, for the past three school years he volunteered for the elementary school Honor Band where his enthusiasm for percussion is positively infectious and is reflected in the feedback and admiration he received from instructors and colleagues alike.
Micah Rakowski – Junior at Flint Hill School
Years ago, Micah’s brother began a local initiative at Cora Kelly ES, a Title 1 school in Alexandria, through the global organization, ‘Shoes That Fit’. Then, two years ago, Micah took over leading this program, which helps to coordinate the purchase of new shoes for over 40 students at Cora Kelly. Micah fundraises, organizes and shops for the students twice a school year. One of the most unique and thoughtful parts of Micah’s campaign is that he requests the students’ shoe size and preferred shoe color. The sneakers arrive in brand new boxes with the student’s name printed on the front, helping to make these low-income students feel special and valued. In addition, while his brother was still running Shoes That Fit, Micah started ‘Got Sneakers’, which he has also continued to run. With Got Sneakers, Micah collects used sneakers through Facebook, friends, and going door-to-door, and then donates them if still usable or sends them to a recycling program.
Luca Sanchez – Junior at Langley High School
Luca has been swimming for eight years. Two years ago, he decided he wanted to make swimming more inclusive and accessible. He researched opportunities and discovered Fairfax County Park Authority’s Adapted Aquatics Program which offers specialized classes for individuals with disabilities. Luca provides assistance to instructors by working one-on-one with swimmers, guiding them through activities tailored to their abilities. He provides step-by-step guidance, often breaking down instruction into simple steps so each swimmer can succeed. He also offers physical support when needed, helping swimmers maintain balance, proper positioning, and safety in the water. Luca uses demonstrations, consistent routines, and positive reinforcement to help swimmers understand and retain new skills. By helping create an environment where every swimmer feels safe and capable, Luca is actively contributing to a community where differences are accepted, respected, and valued.
Luke Swigart – Junior at The Potomac School
For the past year Luke served as the head basketball coach for a fourth-grade basketball team with McLean Youth Basketball. He scheduled practices, communicated with team members’ parents, coordinated practices and provided essential basketball training and skills development to the players. Luke coached players with a variety of skill levels and personalities, setting a positive tone for the team and consistently encouraging his players with support and guidance. He worked hard to ensure that each player felt included and respected, regardless of skill level. He demonstrated patience in managing the challenge of keeping a group of young boys focused during practices and games. He also showed kindness and understanding when players were disappointed with themselves after a missed shot or turnover. He consistently celebrated effort just as much as success.
Brendan Wheeler – Sophomore at Langley High School
Brendan has led a community-driven effort to recover over 200 used musical instruments donated from community members, restore them, and place them with students and music programs in need all around the country. What started as an Eagle Scout project has now grown into establishment of a nonprofit, “Tune Up for Tomorrow” to ensure the work will continue. He recruited more than 20 volunteers who have now invested over 160 hours of community service. He established repair stations and led the repairs himself while teaching others the techniques he learned through study and practice. His compassion for children who lack access to music is a conviction that came from his heart, reflected in his sustained commitment to expanding access for others.
Grace Yuan – Junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Grace, along with fellow awardee Sarah Li, co-founded Pieces of Illumination, a student organization to help children and seniors with autism. She has also been very active with the Chinese American Parents Association of Northern Virginia (CAPA NOVA). She served as a student planner for their Community Fair, helping design the event layout, coordinate student volunteers, and engage participating organizations. Grace also contributed as the student emcee for the CAPA NOVA Annual Year-End Celebration, where she represented the student community, introduced guest speakers, and helped ensure a smooth, welcoming program for all families. She has devoted many hours to supporting younger students through CAPA NOVA’s after-school and summer enrichment programs. Her reliability and thoughtful leadership highlight her trustworthiness, while her initiative and sustained involvement reflect a deep sense of citizenship. She models collaborative leadership while maintaining a clear personal dedication to improving the well-being of others.
| Planning & Zoning
Tysons Liaison/Greater Tysons Citizens Coalition
| Planning & Zoning and GTCC to Discuss Tysons Office-to-Residential Conversions
A joint meeting of MCA's Planning & Zoning Committee and the Greater Tysons Citizens Association is scheduled to discuss the Tysons Office-Designated Area Study currently underway by Fairfax County's Department of Planning and Development (DPD).
The following links may be of interest:
- DPD study website
- DPD community survey on the issue, which closes on June 14
- DPD-hosted community meeting recording
The joint meeting will be held on June 18th at 7:30 pm via Zoom.
For more information, contact MCA Tysons Liaison/GTCC Chair Sally Horn. | Upcoming Special Event sponsored by McLean Community Center
Saturday, June 27th, 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Langley High School, 6520 Georgetown Pike, McLean
FIREWORKS!!! Plus continuous music, giveaways, refreshments for purchase, and special activities.
Admission and parking are free, with satellite parking available.
Please Note: The following are prohibited on school grounds: smoking, alcohol, vaping, glass containers, personal fireworks, weapons and pets.
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