James R. Walkinshaw was born and raised in Northern Virginia and has devoted his career to ensuring that our community remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family. During more than a decade of service as Chief of Staff to Congressman Gerry Connolly, James oversaw all aspects of the Congressman’s office and served as his chief adviser on a host of issues, working closely with state and local officials. James and his wife, Yvette, live in the Ravensworth Farm neighborhood.
James graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics in 2005. Since 2012, he has volunteered as a mentor to at-risk youth through Fairfax County’s Befriend-A-Child program. He is a member of the Council to End Domestic Violence where he helped lead the effort to create the county’s “Make the Call” campaign to raise awareness of the 24-hour domestic and sexual violence hotline and help victims get access to the services they need. James is a former vice president of the Ravensworth Farm Civic Association, where he has spearheaded an annual awards ceremony to recognize neighborhood volunteers and serves as a block captain. He is a long-time volunteer with the Friends of Lake Accotink Park.
James serves on the following Board committees:
Standing Committees:
- Legislative, Chairman
- Older Adults, Vice-Chairman
- Public Safety, Vice-Chairman
Intergovernmental Committees:
- Northern Virginia Regional Commission
- MWCOG Board of Directors, Alternate
- MWCOG Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee, Alternate
- Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, Principal, VRE Operation
- MWCOG Region Forward Committee, Principal
- MWCOG National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, Principal
- George Mason University Fairfax Campus Advisory Board
- INOVA Health Care Services Board
- Virginia Association of Counties
- Finance, Pensions, Intergovernmental Affairs Policy Steering Committee
- Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Executive Committee
Interjurisdictional Committees:
- District of Columbia
- Fairfax City, Chairman
