Effective January 1997, the Board of Supervisors appointed Walter L. Alcorn to the Planning Commission as an At-Large member upon a motion by then Chairman Kate Hanley. In December 2004, Commissioner Alcorn was reappointed by the Board of Supervisors on the motion of Chairman Connolly for an additional term that will expire in December 2008. Commissioner Alcorn has been a Virginia Certified Planning Commissioner since December 1997, having completed course requirements established by the Virginia Citizens Planning Association in conjunction with Virginia Tech.

As one of three At-Large Members of the Planning Commission, Commissioner Alcorn handles proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance, the Subdivision Ordinance, and the Public Facilities Manual in addition to any Countywide land use policies and applications.

In January 2003, Commissioner Alcorn was elected to serve as Planning Commission Parliamentarian. He was re-elected to this position for the third time in January 2006. As Parliamentarian, Commissioner Alcorn is responsible for advising the Commission on all questions relating to rules and parliamentary process.

In February, 2006 the Board of Supervisors appointed Commissioner Alcorn to chair an advisory group to review the accessibility of land use information and the potential for new technologies to help deliver that information more effectively to the public.

Beginning in 1999, Mr. Alcorn chaired the Planning Commission's Residential Infill Committee. Following community input and discussion, the Committee produced the Residential Infill Study in November, 2000, which contained a series of recommendations for improving Fairfax County's process for reviewing proposals for new residential development. The Board of Supervisor's approved the Study in January, 2001. One major recommendation from the Infill Study was the update of the Residential Development Criteria. Mr. Alcorn also chaired the Planning Commission's Residential Development Criteria Committee, which ultimately resulted in new Criteria being adopted by the Board of Supervisors in September 2002.

In addition, Commissioner Alcorn currently serves as a member on the Planning Commission's Environment Committee, the Policy and Procedures Committee, the School Facilities Committee and is an alternate on the PC Seminar Committee.

Mr. Alcorn is currently an environmental consultant specializing in the development of a national system for recycling electronic equipment like televisions and computers. Previously, he worked as a Deputy Division Manager in the Technology Research Group of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). Prior to SAIC, Mr. Alcorn served as a Policy Aide to the Providence District member of the Board of Supervisors with responsibilities for County budget, legislative, parks, environmental, solid waste, and information technology issues.

A 18 year resident of Fairfax County, Commissioner Alcorn received his B.A. from the University of Virginia in 1988. Commissioner Alcorn currently resides in Reston with his wife, Kristina, and their two children, Ryan and Delia.