Celebrating Women's History Month 2025

Alycia Blackwell MSW, Esq., has a dedicated career in public service and has served as deputy director of programs and services at the Department of Family Services for five years. In this capacity, she oversees four divisions that encompass a wide range of human services programs, including Adult and Aging; Children, Youth, and Families; Domestic and Sexual Violence Services; and Public Assistance and Employment Services. Her experience includes being an attorney and holding various roles in human services such as senior advisor, statewide program coordinator, curriculum developer and trainer, university faculty and administrator, frontline supervisor and direct practice social worker. She is recognized as an engaging and transformative leader who prioritizes collaboration and authentic engagement to achieve meaningful results and outcomes. Her leadership ensures that the most vulnerable residents of Fairfax have access to essential programs, resources and critical safety-net services.

As a senior community specialist with the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination, Maya works on programs and initiatives to support the implementation of the Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP). From community-facing programs and intra-agency partnerships and projects, to tracking and reporting on progress toward climate goals, Maya’s work supports the important efforts toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Fairfax County.

As technical director of The Alden at the McLean Community Center for over 35 years, Jennifer wears several “hats,” including production manager, stage manager and resident designer. Over the years, she has also served as a project manager for many facility renovations and technical improvement projects to allow MCC to keep pace with advances in technology.

As deputy director of operations for the Department of Family Services, Marie is a transformative leader with over 25 years of experience across Fairfax County’s Health and Human Services System. She began her county career as a case manager with the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, where she discovered her passion for optimizing processes to facilitate access to services. Marie was selected for the county’s first local government cohort at George Mason University, where she earned her Master of Public Administration. Her subsequent roles included service integration manager, strategic planner and division director. Throughout her public service career, she has inspired other women to broaden their strategic thinking, embrace continuous quality improvement for operational excellence and seize opportunities to step into leadership roles.

Anika oversees the CSB’s equity-focused projects and programs. She exemplifies the agency’s mission to help everyone in our community live a healthy and fulfilling life, while building a culture of equity and belonging where care, respect and resilience develop the possibilities of our workforce and those we serve. Anika is the first to hold her role in the CSB and she demonstrates her passion for equitable outcomes for all by operationalizing equity in the way we deliver our programs and offer our services. 

Shari is the branch manager at Pohick Regional Library. She has worked in and for libraries for 18 years, including as director of democracy and community impact at the Urban Libraries Council (ULC), director for Roanoke County Public Library and division chief of materials management for Arlington Public Library. Prior to her library career, Shari worked in community engagement and outreach for nonprofits. She is a published writer, a certified life coach and serves on a Fairfax Food Council working group. She is driven by the desire to impact the community for good by connecting resources to people, and by her undying belief that libraries are fundamental to healthy democracies.

As the deputy director for the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination, Neely helps lead the cross-organizational development and implementation of the county’s environmental, energy and climate policies and programs. Her work in the environmental field has spanned more than 20 years bringing her broad-based expertise in sustainability, program development, management and training to the county. Neely enjoys working collaboratively on teams bringing different perspectives and expertise together to provide solutions that address economic, environmental and social well-being for urban communities.

As chief of staff to Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck, Fairfax County native Christine has been a driving force behind community initiatives and advocacy since moving to Lorton in 2005. With expertise in economic development, land use, county budgeting and public safety, she plays a vital role in shaping policy and advancing strategic initiatives that enhance local planning and revitalization efforts. Christine has been instrumental in transformative projects such as the redevelopment of the Lorton Reformatory into Laurel Hill, Richmond Highway Revitalization, Lorton Visioning and the modernization of the Original Mount Vernon High School and the Lorton Community Center and Library. She chairs key advisory committees, ensuring thoughtful community engagement while being a strong advocate for Mount Vernon’s future, working tirelessly with Team MVD to improve the community for all. Beyond her policy leadership, Christine is a dedicated mentor, empowering women both within and beyond county government.

Debra is the medical director for the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Servies Board (CSB). Dr. O’Beirne’s team aims to provide high-quality medical and pharmacy care. The team delivers state of-the-art treatment using evidence-based practices in medication management, monitoring and case coordination. Services offered include psychiatric services, medical services, nursing services, addiction medicine, pharmacy services and near-primary care, as well as public health and infectious disease services. 

Brenna, information technology manager at the Fairfax Circuit Court, led the IT team in the implementation of a new all-digital case management system for the Criminal Division. Making redundant RFID tracking technology, defunding unneeded licenses and decommissioning an outdated document management system resulting in savings of over $100,000 to the county. Brenna has been with the Circuit Court since 2001.