Kathleen Paley
Chair
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.
Jeff Hermann
Vice-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.
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.
Beth Young
Secretary
Beth Young, PhD, is the co-founder and president of Quality Information Partners, a Fairfax City business since 2004. Dr. Young has over 25 years’ experience leading large-scale data collections/statistical analysis, delivering technical assistance, and project management. She has served on the Fairfax City Commission for Women and as a volunteer for FYPC, FWSA, and in Fairfax City schools. She is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners and has been a resident of Fairfax City since 1996.
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.
Dawn McGruder
Commissioner
Dawn McGruder serves as the President of The McGruder Group CPAs, an award-winning tax and accounting firm located in Fairfax City since 2006. Dawn is responsible for the overall strategic planning and direction of the firm. The firm works with individuals, businesses, estates, trusts and non-profits with an emphasis on working closely with small business owners in the community. She actively serves on several non-profit boards in the area including the Old Town Fairfax Business Association and Northern Virginia Food Rescue. She currently holds the position of President of the Greater DC Chapter of The National Association of Women Business Owners.
Mitchell Cho
Commissioner
Mitchell Cho is the Founder, President, and CEO of FedWriters, a professional writing, research, and communications company. Since 2010, FedWriters has been providing exceptional writing and publication services in support of government programs. Mitchell has led the growth of the company more than 7,000%, being ranked #146 on the Inc500 list of fastest growing companies in America as well as #3 on the list of fast growing companies in Virginia. Today, FedWriters supports more than 40 federal agencies across 24 states, including the U.S. Coast Guard, NASA, and the U.S. Army War College.