Penny Gross at Work

A Letter from Penny
It has been an honor to serve you for the past15 years as your representative and neighbor on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.  The job is challenging, but also rewarding, as we work together to bring opportunity and vibrancy to Mason District, managing community challenges of growth and transportation, without sacrificing the safety and unique characteristics of our neighborhoods.

We’ve made a lot of progress to improve education and schools, availability of affordable housing, and care for our older residents, while finding new understanding within our diverse and growing community, addressing our environmental issues, and revitalizing our older areas.  But much remains to be done. 

We must find solutions to our community challenges.  Just in Mason District, we have added more than 218 acres to our parks in the past 15 years, but our need for more active and passive recreation continues to increase.  My mother was a librarian, and I worked my way through college as a library student assistant, so libraries are especially close to my heart. Our libraries serve as community centers, too – the recent renovation of the Thomas Jefferson Library is a joy to behold, and plans are underway for a similar renovation for the Woodrow Wilson Library in Culmore – but we must ensure that libraries are open when people need them, and that operating hours are restored as soon as county resources permit.  Neighborhoods are safer when drivers obey the speed limits; working with residents to address these community needs has been a hallmark of my office.  The health of our streams and local waterways is important to the future of the Chesapeake Bay; watershed projects provide opportunities for all of us to work together to protect and enhance our environment now and for future generations.

The job of a District Supervisor requires commitment, experience, integrity, and even stamina, to fulfill the myriad responsibilities that are at the core of public service.  During the past 15 years, I have tried to bring a compassionate approach to the hard decisions that face local governments and their residents every day. It is an honor and a privilege to serve as you as the Mason District Supervisor, and I look forward to many more years of work together.