Three county employees were recognized with the A. Heath Onthank Award for Merit, the highest honor awarded by the county to its employees, at the  Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, June 25. The award recognizes accomplishments of outstanding worth in advancing and improving public service in Fairfax County Government and Fairfax County Public Schools.

Tajweer Beaufort
Beaufort has improved police recruitment using outstanding leadership and initiative. He added onto his development of Police Hiring Expos with a Hiring Expo focused on the 30x30 Initiative aimed at recruiting female applicants, and he launched “The Fairfax Experience,” an initiative targeted at hiring a diverse group of future law enforcement leaders, focusing on college students. His efforts are improving recruitment and hiring and as a result, the fall police academy class had its largest and most diverse cohort.

Leila Gordon
Gordon is a passionate advocate for arts involvement that transforms people’s lives, using her zeal to create a collaborative multi-faceted arts scene. In addition to leading the Reston Community Center in involving almost 99,000 people in 2023 in arts and programming, she chaired the Fairfax County Master Arts Plan: Facilities in creation of the Plan. Another milestone was the acceptance of a proffer of land for a possible arts venue, the culmination of her community engagement efforts in collaboration with Department of Public Works and Environmental Services staff. As chair of the Fairfax County Arts Committee, Gordon led efforts to develop a county COVID memorial and provided input and support on ways for the Original Mount Vernon High School theater renovation might meet its arts goals.

Kim Young
Through exceptional dedication, community outreach and resource utilization, Young dramatically expanded the acreage of native plantings and public education about

native plants at Hidden Oaks Nature Center, work that goes beyond her regular job duties. The center has no grounds staff so coordinating a volunteer corps for planting and care is essential. Young ordered plants using bond funds, donations grant and targeted site funds and coordinated volunteers, students and staff for planting and maintenance of native gardens. Her education and outreach efforts include collaboration with the local community, hosting native backyard tours, coordinating the stewardship section of the center’s Meaningful Watershed Education Experience for close to 2,000 elementary and middle school students, webinars with local garden clubs and consultation with Eagle Scout candidates and Master Gardeners. Acreage of native plants has increased over 1000% in the last five years, with a 150% increase in the last 18 months.

The A. Heath Onthank Award was established by the Board of Supervisors in 1966 to honor the memory of Colonel A. Heath Onthank (U.S.A. Ret.), the first chairman of the Fairfax County Civil Service Commission (1957-1962) and guiding force of the county’s career merit system.