The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors appointed Karen L. Woodward as executive director of the
Fairfax County Civil Service Commission, effective May 31. She succeeds John Robinson, who retired on Dec. 27, 2002.
As executive director of the Civil Service Commission, Woodward will be responsible for preparing the
commission’s annual budget; representing them at public meetings; and supervising staff responsible for preparing
agendas, minutes, correspondence and other items resulting from the actions of the commission. The Civil Service
Commission hears the grievances of Fairfax County employees challenging personnel actions; therefore, knowledge
and experience in areas of personnel administration such as grievance resolution, classification, recruitment and
affirmative action are requirements for this position.
Woodward earned both a Bachelor of Arts and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia,
Charlottesville. Prior to this appointment, Woodward held positions in both the public and private sectors. She practiced
corporate law from 1979 to 1981 with Day Berry & Howard Law Firm and from 1981-1983 with Federal Home Loan
Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). She had a private practice from 1983-1999 that included corporate law, and
employment and human resources law. Concurrently, from 1984 to1996, Woodward was an assistant professor of
business administration at Mary Washington College, Fredericksburg.
From 1999 to the present, Woodward has been employed by the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police
Department. She has been responsible for disciplinary action appeals; grievances and adverse actions for civilian and
sworn employees; performance appraisal appeals; and the development and implementation of the agency policy,
procedures and program in the areas of Equal Employment Opportunity and workers compensation.
Woodward currently resides in Spotsylvania, Va. She will receive an annual salary of $78,000.
FAIRFAX COUNTY IS COMMITTED TO A POLICY OF
NONDISCRIMINATION IN ALL COUNTY PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES
AND WILL PROVIDE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS UPON REQUEST. TO
REQUEST SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS, CALL 703-324-3187 OR TTY-703-324-2935.
PLEASE ALLOW FIVE WORKING DAYS IN ADVANCE OF EVENTS IN ORDER
TO MAKE THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS.
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