Sharon Bulova, first elected in November 1987, represents the Braddock
District on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The Braddock
District has a population of about 108,000 and is located in the center
of the county. Mrs. Bulova serves as the Board's Vice Chairman and chairs
the Board's Budget Committee.
Mrs. Bulova has been a member, and past chairman, of the Northern
Virginia Transportation Commission since 1988. She is a founding member
of the Virginia Railway Express (Commuter Rail) Operations Board since
its inception in 1989 and has served as that board's chairman four times.
Under her leadership, commuter train service for Northern Virginia has
advanced from a speculative proposal to a successful reality.
In the summer of 2004, Mrs. Bulova was appointed by Gov. Mark Warner to
chair the Governor's Commission on Rail Enhancement for the 21st Century
in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which recommended the creation of a
State Rail Advisory Board. In the fall of 2005, she was elected the first
chairman of that board, which makes recommendations to the Commonwealth
Transportation Board to fund projects (both freight and passenger) that
have a significant public benefit.
As a member and past chairman of the Northern Virginia Regional
Commission, Mrs. Bulova champions regionalism to address our metropolitan
area concerns. She is chairman of the Fairfax County/City of Fairfax
Committee, which addresses issues of interest to both jurisdictions. Mrs.
Bulova is the county's liaison on the Central Fairfax Chamber Board of
Directors. She is a member of the Council of Government (COG)
Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee and is the immediate past
chairman of COG's Metropolitan Development Process Committee.
Mrs. Bulova regularly engages her Braddock constituents in Community
Dialog Series and Task Forces. Some of these efforts include: Braddock
2000 - The Miniseries (Projecting and Planning for a Strong Community as
It Enters a New Century); Dying in America - End of Life Issues;
Community Challenges (Parking and Overcrowding); Transportation and Land
Use; The Burke Centre VRE Station Parking Garage Task Force, Preventing
Gang Activity, Braddock Tomorrow (a community visioning series in 2006)
and Keeping our Neighborhoods Safe, Attractive and Vital (2007).
In 2005, a Braddock community task force engaged in a year long history
project and series called A Look Back at Braddock. The effort culminated
in the publishing of the book Braddock’s True Gold. Mrs. Bulova’s
Braddock District focus on history continues with the development of a
History Web site in partnership with George Mason University.
A Northern Virginia resident since 1966, Mrs. Bulova resides in The
Cloisters of Fairfax with her husband Lou DeFalaise. Together, they have
four adult children and two grandchildren.
Community Projects
Mrs. Bulova has initiated a number of community projects including:
From 1992 until 2001, Mrs. Bulova coordinated a project called Fairfax Corner in Moscow. This program, which involved no county funding, provided training and networking opportunities for Russian government officials and business leaders who stayed with local host families.
Braddock Nights . Begun in 1995, this is a program of free summer night concerts in parks in the Braddock District. This community-building project, which provides wholesome entertainment for all ages and interests, was expanded to three locations in 2006.
Faith Communities in Action. This Fairfax countywide network of faith communities enables faith communities to better identify and respond to the needs of the community-at-large, in partnership with nonprofit organizations and local government. The county's Office of Interfaith/Community Outreach provides organizational structure for this effort. In 2005, Faith Communities in Action celebrated its 10th anniversary.
To encourage volunteerism, revitalization and re-investment in her Braddock District, Mrs. Bulova has initiated a number of programs, such as the Best of Braddock (BOB) Award Program , which recognizes and rewards individuals and organizations that have gone above and beyond to make the Braddock District a great place to live, work, raise a family and grow old comfortably.
Supervisor Bulova's Awards, Recognitions, and Accomplishments .