• Mark CarollaNeighbor

  • Herndon, VA

If you are reading this you are probably asking yourself who is this guy?"after reading one of my comments in the Herndon Patch, VA  or the Pearl River, NY Patch - or one of the nearby Patch on line publications.  This About Me will put my commenting and mouthing off in perspective.  This About Me is actually not all about me - my world outlook and career was the result of a lot of effort and tears on the party of my family and others - especially teachers and those I served with in the military and government.  My split Patch Personality - Herndon, VA and Pearl River, NY is a result of where I come from and where I've been.

I'm one of your neighbors (and former Pearl River neighbor) and like many of you in this area I'm a retired three decade plus Defense Department  civilian and Army and Naval Reserve officer .  I'm a Vietnam Era Veteran but did not serve in Southeast Asia. Although retired I'm currently part time consulting, free-lance writing and teaching with my wife's LLC in international airline, rail and maritime issues.  I;m also a substitute in a local school system.

Born in Sharon, Connecticut; Grew up in New York State - both Upstate (Canastota) and NY City area  (Pearl River).  I attended public schools in Canastota, and Pearl River NY - Pearl River is my hometown - and a Salesian Catholic High School in San Juan, Argentina. My senior year in college I studied in Russia (then the USSR).

As our education system in Virginia and in New York is often the subject of Patch articles and commentary I should note my late parents taught in the Pearl River NY Public Schools for 15 years and for a total each of 30 plus years in NY State.  I graduated from Middlebury College, Vermont in History and the University of Virginia in Foreign Affairs and took enough grad courses at George Washington and Georgetown to get shaken down by them for contributions.  I also graduated from the Inter-American Defense College.  

My wife Leeann went to Oregon State and my kids went to FCPS and to VA Tech and Randolph-Macon in Ashland.  I'm interested in history, foreign languages, railroads, aviation, and ocean shipping since childhood....and was blessed with the good fortune to work in those areas. I was a ramp "line boy" for an air taxi and flying school in Upstate, NY ; and as a day job while doing my MA thesis, I worked in three and eventually managed two travel agencies in Washington, DC and Arlington, VA.

My late Mom was a language teacher and my late Dad, an immigrant from Italy and an  Army Veteran of the Pacific Theater in WWII, was a social studies teacher and high school principal.  Teaching is sort of in my blood and I've managed to be involved in international education through much of my career including now. On the local level I am interested in immigration and international commerce - aviation - and law enforcement and disaster preparedness issues as they affect the Herndon and regional community as well as my roots in the New York-New Jersey area. 

 Because of interest in transportation am very interested in so-called Green transportation development and infrastructure for Herndon and the Dulles Area as well as with Greater New York and Pearl River areas specifically. Married to Leeann Pierce Carolla, originally from Oregon who came to this area as a Naval Officer and also worked in DoD and 13 years with United Airlines.  She is a broker in the commercial real estate field and owner of our small airline-related LLC. I have two grown daughters working professionally in the area. My daughter Katherine, I'm proud to say is an elementary teacher in Loudon County, and other daughter Angela works in Herndon for a great IT Training firm.

I also believe that if you are going to express opinions and debate on the Patch you need to be transparent and use your real name. This is sort of like a letter to the editor. This "who I am" is a disclaimer of sorts.  I will not knowingly insult or be uncivil with other Patch commentators and will not engage with those who aren't civil, or use bullying or scornful verbiage.   I try to explain the basis for my opinions rather than just spouting them off.

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