Jeffrey C. McKay, Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

Jeffrey C. McKay

Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

This year’s Chairman’s Choice Award category includes leadership at several levels of government. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay provided effective leadership at the highest level in Fairfax County when the pandemic changed life for people around the globe, in our nation and here, in our community. He provided the vision and the hands-on guidance needed during COVID-19 that protected residents throughout the County and accommodated the many unique challenges facing the park system. It was his ability to get the job done that turned the tide for residents. He brought county staff together and made certain there was much needed and hard to find PPE available. During his tenure, the county worked hard to accommodate and manage flexible schedules for staff and create an effective telework program. Chairman McKay set a new standard for strong internal and external communications that kept people in the know and gave residents and staff members reassurance that the situation, though unprecedented and difficult, was well managed. Time and time again, Chairman McKay presented a calm, strong and reassuring presence. He gathered his staff to ensure continuity of governance during the worst of the shutdowns and pandemic’s threats. Fairfax County embraced virtual meetings and programming and provided the IT tools necessary to do it well. And through it all, he was the leader the Park Authority could count on to muster support for difficult decisions of the Park Authority Board and park staff even as crowds overran our parks, and later when we began to reopen and provide programming, concerts, etc. Since those most challenging days, he has encouraged his colleagues to help the Park Authority address the enormous financial gap created by the sustained closures and helped in securing CARES funding. Most recently, he offered stalwart support for the renewal of the Park Authority enabling Ordinance and a new MOU. Without a doubt, Chairman McKay has earned this designation as a Chairman’s Choice Awardee.

Harold L. Strickland Award

The Fairfax County Park Authority Board established the Harold L. Strickland Partnership and Collaboration Award in 2015 in honor of the retired Park Board member’s long service and significant contributions to the Park Authority. In the spirit of Strickland’s accomplishments, this award recognizes the value and importance of teamwork and cooperation necessary to provide residents with state-ofthe-art facilities in Fairfax County Parks, often at limited, reduced or no capital expense to the taxpayer. Harold L. Strickland Partnership and Collaboration Award nominees demonstrate significant long-term accomplishments that provide the residents of Fairfax County with tangible examples of the benefits of partnerships and collaborations that help to sustain or grow service to the community, while reducing the need for Fairfax County Park Authority financial resources to accomplish the service delivery. The Fairfax County Park Authority Board honors three individuals with the Harold L. Strickland Partnership and Collaboration Award this year for their work at Frying Pan Farm Park.