Printer
TextChairman Bulova's Biography
Sharon Bulova was elected Chairman of the Board of
Supervisors on Feb. 3, 2009. She was first elected in November 1987 to
represent the Braddock District. Mrs. Bulova has served 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 (VRE) Virginia Railway Express 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. She was
recently the recipient of the Women in Transportation Central Virginia
Chapter 2009 Outstanding Service Award. This was given for her
"Extraordinary Commitment and Contributions to the
Transportation Industry."
In the summer of 2004, Mrs. Bulova was appointed by former 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 a member of the Council of Government (COG)
Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee and is past chairman of
COG's Metropolitan Development Process Committee.
Throughout 2008, Mrs. Bulova has served as chairman of Greater Washington 2050, a new regional initiative to improve the quality of life for Washington area residents in the next 50 years by fostering stronger regional cooperation and planning. The Greater Washington 2050 Initiative is led by COG and a coalition of public, business, civic and environmental stakeholders.
Mrs. Bulova is chairman of the Fairfax County/City of Fairfax Committee, which addresses issues of interest to both jurisdictions and is the county's liaison on the Central Fairfax Chamber Board of Directors.
Mrs. Bulova regularly engages constituents in Community Dialogue Series
and Task Forces. Some of these efforts in Braddock District have
included: 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 began a process to research,
capture and tell the history of the Braddock area. Products of this
effort include the book Braddock’s True Gold and an A Look Back
at Braddock Heritage Website, created 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 three grandchildren.
Community Projects
Mrs. Bulova has initiated a number of community projects including:
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, play, raise a family and grow old comfortably.
A Countywide Task Force, begun in 2007, to consider establishment of a Fairfax County History Museum
The Asian American History Project, kicked off in 2008, involves Fairfax County residents in the researching, recording, preservation, writing and promotion of history regarding the experiences of Asian American groups that have chosen Fairfax County as their home. Products of this project include a book, articles, and a web site.
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