Interested in Reston? Run for RCA!

If you’ve been reading my posts on a regular basis, then the odds are that you are interested in Reston and community issues.  And thank you for that!  We need people who care about local issues.  If you are interested in Reston, I’d like to challenge you to take the next step: get involved in planning our community’s future by running for the RCA Board.

We’ve been busier than ever this year in RCA, because there is so much going on in Reston right now.  The coming of the Silver Line, the deliberations of the Master Plan Task Force, the fight over Reston National golf course, the RCC rec center debate… these issues are going to change the face of Reston and how we live, work, and play for decades to come. 

RCA and its 20/20 Committee are right in the middle of all of those issues.  For me, the most rewarding part about serving with RCA is the chance to influence the community conversation on issues that matter.  We’ve been active participants on the Task Force.  We’ve done studies and issued papers about ways to improve access to the future Wiehle station, and we’ve provided recommendations about the Soapstone connector as well.  We’ve stood side by side with Rescue Reston on the golf course issue, fighting to preserve open space throughout our community.  And we’re in the process of producing our recommendations on the rec center; in fact, we’re discussing it at our meeting on Monday.

If you’re interested in those issues and want to make a mark on how our community moves forward, now is your chance to step up and run for the RCA Board.

But RCA isn’t only involved in hot-button issues.  As I discussed last week, our Reston Accessibility Committee continues to be a stalwart advocate for Restonians with disabilities.  Our new Education Task Force is working on an ambitious and thrilling plan for an Academic Village that could revolutionize the way that at-risk youth are taught and engaged.  And we're continuing to work hard on our community-positive traditions like the Citizen of the Year Award and our candidate forums.

If you’re interested in the projects we’re currently working on at RCA, then we’d love to have you join us in those efforts.  And if you believe that there are other social and political issues that need to be addressed in Reston, we’re always open to expanding our portfolio.  Join us and lead the way.  And if you’re skilled at marketing or fundraising and would like to help RCA expand its outreach, we’d love to have you on board.

Now that you’re ready to run, you’ll need to know about the candidacy requirements.  In order to run for a seat on the RCA Board, you must be at least 16 years old, and you must live in Small Tax District 5 (the tax district that funds the Reston Community Center).  That’s it.  It doesn’t matter whether you’ve lived in Reston for 30 days or 30 years, or what political party you belong to (RCA is non-partisan), or whether you’re younger or older (as long as you’re at least 16).  If you’re inspired to improve Reston’s quality of life, and you have the drive to get involved, you can stand for election.

There are seven seats up for election this year: President, North Point Director, Lake Anne/Tall Oaks/Town Center Director, South Lakes Director, Hunters Woods Director, and two At-Large Director seats.  How do you know which district you’re in?  It depends on where you vote in state and federal elections.  I’ve got a handy chart below:

North Point: If you vote in North Point, Stuart, or Aldrin Precincts (at Aldrin or Armstrong)

Lake Anne/Tall Oaks/Town Center: If you vote in Reston I, Reston II, Reston III, or Cameron Glen Precinct (at Lake Anne or Forest Edge)

South Lakes: If you vote in Sunrise Valley, South Lakes, or Terraset Precinct

Hunters Woods: If you vote in Dogwood Precinct, Hunter Woods Precinct, or Glade Precinct (at RCC Hunters Woods)

In order to run for a District Director seat, you must live in that district.  To run for President or At-Large Director, you may live anywhere in Small Tax District 5. All Directors serve 2-year terms; the President serves a 1-year term.

If you’d like to learn more about RCA and what we’ve been doing, you can read some of my past blogs here on Patch, or you can check out the newly redesigned RCA website (kudos to our Technology guru Gary Walker for that). The website is also where you can download candidate filing form (it should be up within the next couple days), or you can email me and I’ll send the form to you. The deadline for filing is June 3, so don’t delay if you want to run.

Once you’ve filed as a candidate, then it’s time to start campaigning.  Thanks to the online voting system we implemented last year, it will be easier than ever for your supporters to cast votes. 

If you love Reston and want to help shape its future, consider running for the RCA Board.  There’s so much going on, and we need all the interested and involved citizens we can get.  I hope to be working with you in our next Board year.