Jeff Hermann
Chair
A resident of Fairfax City since 2009, Jeff is the Section Chief for Site Analysis in the Fairfax County Department of Transportation and has worked in the planning field for over 15 years. His team of planners and engineers evaluate development applications and site plans on their transportation merits and challenges across Fairfax County.
Kathleen Paley
Vice-Chair/ Secretary
Kathleen Paley serves as the Special Counsel for Covington & Burling LLP where she focuses on legal issues facing the firm’s pharmaceutical clients at the federal and state courts level. Previously, she served for one year as the Grant Officer at the International Republican Institute where she assisted with various projects related to democracy education.
Fred Cornett
Treasurer
Fred Cornett, Jr. is the Senior Vice President/CFO of HHH Properties Corp., a real estate firm located in Fairfax, VA. He has over twenty years of retail property knowledge related to the performance, profitability, leasing, and development of retail shopping centers. One of his responsibilities includes the asset management of Fair City Mall, the largest grocery-anchored retail strip center in the City of Fairfax.
Soledad Portilla
Commissioner
A Fairfax City resident since 2005. Soledad has over 10 years experience in real estate development and management including new deal sourcing and acquisitions. She currently serves on the Board of the Northern Virginia Builders Industry Association and on the Board of HomeAid Northern Virginia.
Dr. Deborah Crawford
Commissioner
Dr. Crawford is the Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact for George Mason University located in Fairfax, VA. She has been the President of the International Computer Science Institute from August 2014 until May 2016. She has been the Senior Vice Provost for research at Drexel University from August 2010 until August 2014 and the Deputy Assistant Director at the National Science Foundation for Computer and Information Science from October 1993 until August 2010.
Tom Ross
Commissioner
Tom Ross is the Principal of Ross Co., LLC. A consultancy that provides marketing, operations, design solutions, and support for retail marketers. He previously worked with Mobil Oil Corporation and ExxonMobil Fuels Marketing Company for over 30 years. Tom held both domestic and global management positions in fuels marketing and convenience retailing. As the Global Marketing Projects Manager, Tom focused on the development and implementation of new retail concepts.
Chris Bruno
Director of Economic Development, Fairfax City
Director Bruno serves as the City liaison to the Economic Development Authority and is responsible for coordinating the economic development priorities of the City’s leadership with the Authority’s strategic plan.
Danette Nguyen
Assistant Director of Economic Development/Programs Manager, Fairfax City
As the Assistant Director of Economic Development/Programs Manager for Fairfax City’s Office of Economic Development, Danette assists businesses as they navigate various city processes and partners with them on direct-to-business city programs.
Destinee Tenakoun
Economic Development Specialist, Fairfax City
As the Economic Specialist, Destinee provides direct support to all EDO operations, programs, and administration. Destinee manages marketing and contact with local businesses.
Angeliou Schillinger
Economic Development Legal Intern, Fairfax City
Angeliou will be working with us this summer to help strengthen EDA corporate management. She is responsible for researching, drafting, and adopting policies for our EDA.
Emily West
Fairfax City ReConnected Grant Program Manager, Fairfax City
Emily is responsible for the creation of our Fairfax City ReConnected Grant.
Hannah Yu
Marketing and Program Intern, Fairfax City
Hannah is responsible for handling programs and new initiatives, as well as providing direct support to the Assistant Director, Danette.
Nancy Montes
Fairfax City ReConnected Outdoor Restaurant Program Manager, Fairfax City
Nancy is responsible for assisting restaurants with an expedited permit approval process to support outdoor dining efforts for reopening the City’s restaurant community.