The Partnership for a Healthier Fairfax held its summer meeting on Thursday, June 25 at the Fairfax County Government Center. Members of the steering committee, various workgroups and county staff joined guests from various nonprofits, churches and other community organizations to welcome the organization’s new co-chairs, hear about the ongoing work to improve the lives of residents, and honor the outstanding achievements of members over the last year.
Yolonda Earl-Thompson was introduced as one of the new steering committee co-chairs. Earl-Thompson is the founder and executive director of LAZERA Ministries, a community-based organization dedicated to providing human-centered programs that foster healing, leadership development and restoration for individuals and families facing hardship. Earl-Thompson is widely recognized as a trusted community convener and sought-after facilitator, supporting regional institutions, foundations, and nonprofit coalitions in integrating lived experience into decision-making and systems change. Her work is grounded in grassroots advocacy, human-centered engagement and empowering residents to influence systems that impact their lives.
Serving alongside Earl-Thompson will be Ryan Springer. He is the founder and managing partner of BBJ & Associates LLC, a public health consulting firm that leverages a "Tech Forward, People Centered" approach to drive impactful change for behavioral health, health tech, and government clients. There he leads strategy, operations and business development activities. Springer has secured over $10M in grant funding for behavioral health initiatives, led strategic planning and organizational mergers, and launched innovative community-based programs. He is passionate about health equity, operational excellence and leveraging data-driven strategies to drive positive change in health care and community well-being.
The Live Healthy Fairfax Awards program launched in November 2021 to recognize individuals, businesses and organizations—both public and private—that have demonstrated exemplary supportive leadership and action to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families and populations in the Fairfax Community.
This year, the following individuals and organizations were recognized:
The 2026 Live Healthy Fairfax Award for the Healthy Environment and Active Living was presented to the Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington (KCSC) for their leadership, innovation and unwavering belief that every resident—regardless of language, culture or background—should have a meaningful voice in how their community is designed. Founded in 1974, KCSC is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health, well-being and quality of life of Asian American, immigrant and underserved communities throughout the Washington metropolitan region.
The Chris Atwood Foundation was awarded the Live Healthy Fairfax Award for Behavioral Health. Through their documented, life-saving outcomes, nationally recognized partnerships, and unwavering commitment to people in active use, The Chris Atwood Foundation exemplifies excellence in behavioral health innovation and impact. The Chris Atwood Foundation was created in 2013 after The Atwood Family lost their son and brother, Chris, to an accidental overdose at age 21, and creates recovery ready communities through free harm reduction and recovery support services, resources and education.
Rising Hope Mission Church was honored with the Live Healthy Fairfax Award for the Fairfax Food Council for their deep respect for the people they serve, their innovative, health-centered approach to food assistance, and their unwavering commitment to dignity, inclusion and community. Rising Hope is committed to building strong foundations and connections within the community along the Route One corridor.
Lastly, the Partnership presented special recognition to an individual health champion, Sally Lee. Three years ago, at the age of 91, Sally moved to Fairfax after 52 years in California, approaching the move with an open mind and readiness for new adventures. At the Vienna Community Center, Lee is a steady presence in Tai Chi classes three times a week, reminding others that staying active is possible, and worth the effort. Lee also demonstrates that promoting health isn’t just about exercise or diet, it’s about creating opportunities for people to come together, to share traditions and to belong.
Following the awards presentations, co-chairs of the partnership workgroups, including the Promoting Behavioral Health team, the Healthy Environment and Active Living (HEAL) team and the Fairfax Food Council spoke of their efforts to address key issues identified in the Community Health Improvement Plan. The formation of a new Health Care Access team was also announced, to align with the fourth priority area identified in CHIP 3.0. Afterward, attendees had the opportunity to meet and network with others who share their particular interest and discuss the work ahead.
The Partnership for a Healthier Fairfax is a coalition of community members and organizations that are working together to explore new approaches for addressing critical public health issues. This diverse group of individuals, community organizations, schools, health care providers, nonprofits, businesses, faith communities and government agencies formed the Partnership in 2010. Once the Partnership was established, its primary objective was to create and spearhead the implementation of a wide range of community-owned, multisector health initiatives. To learn more about the Partnership, or to receive the newsletter, email livehealthy@fairfaxcounty.gov.