F.C. Council & School Board Candidate Statements

Robin Gardner

A working mother of two and a half year-old twins, Robin is known for her ability to bring positive, high-energy, organizational skills to help solve issues in the City. “People in our community care deeply about quality of life,” said Robin. “Most families are very active with the schools, their church, sports or other volunteer efforts. They expect their local government to work, to make sense, and their local representatives to serve the community as opposed to spinning partisan webs that ultimately only serve individual interests.”

Robin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, and a Master of Sciences degree in International Affairs from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. While a student, she interned with the British Parliament in London and worked as a legislative aide for U.S. Senator Bill Bradley (D-New Jersey).

Robin is employed as a business development professional with ITS Services, a government contractor headquartered in Springfield, Virginia. Her work is focused on building presence in the federal marketplace and maintaining relationships with key persons in government civilian agencies. As part of her professional qualifications, Robin remains active on the Outreach Committee and E-Gov Committee for the Industry Advisory Council and Team Leader for the Government Electronic Industry Association for Civil Team Interviews.

During her first term on City Council, Robin has advocated for greater citizen participation in government by hosting numerous citizen outreach events, filling vacancies on City boards and consistently supporting recommendations offered by advisory groups. Robin has promoted efficiency in City government by encouraging adoption of commonsense technological solutions and empowering City staff to take a greater role in the administration of development opportunities. While on Council, Robin supported building The Broadway – the first significant commercial development in the City in more than ten years, campaigned against the ill-conceived partisan charter amendment referendum and campaigned for the bond referendum to build a new school.

The CBC Nominating Convention will be held at the Mustang Cafe at the George Mason Middle and High School on Saturday, February 14, 1:30 -5:30. All residents of the City who are eligible to vote in the May 4, 2004 City elections are encouraged to participate.

Lindy Hockenberry

I am asking for your support at the CBC’s Open Convention February 14th 1:30 in the GM cafeteria. You must be a City registered voter, but you do not need to be a member of CBC.

For thirty-one years, I was a teacher in Falls Church Public Schools---at Thomas Jefferson and George Mason Middle School. As a teacher advocate, I was President of the Falls Church Education Association and was the founder of the Professional Employees Advisory Committee negotiating compensation and benefit agreements for staff.

My passion for the education of our students has always been a motivating force. I received the Washington Post’s Agnes Meyer Award and the American Association of University Women’s Teacher of the Year.

Contemplating retirement in June of 2000, I made the decision to use my energy and skills in City government. I was elected and sworn in on July 1, 2000. On Council, I have supported mixed-use development as a means of both expanding our tax base while adding to the vibrancy of our downtown. I am an advocate for rent/tax relief and other programs for our older citizens. I support local businesses through the Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Authority.

As a liaison to numerous boards and commissions---Tree Commission, Environmental Services, Parks and Recreation, and Public Access Television---I have worked with them in their support of City programs.

I believe in an open, progressive government that welcomes citizens’ comments and participation.

I remain committed to our schools and our youth. From the very beginning, more than three years ago, I worked on committees planning for the new Middle School and supported the bond referendum. I continue to be a loyal fan of sporting events, other student activities and love to substitute at GM. Through the George Mason Boosters Association, I have supported plans for a regionally sized gym included in our new school and for the lighting of the GM football field.

I am excited about our City’s future---I promise to represent you well. Thank you.

David Chavern

Fundamentally, any election in Falls Church is going to revolve around three core issues: (i) fostering economic growth, (ii) making our great schools even better, and (iii) maintaining our deep sense of community. These are often portrayed as three separate needs for the City. However, I would suggest that they are a single part of maintaining the balance that is critical to the City’s survival.

The schools drive our sense of community. Our schools and community make Falls Church an attractive place to live. Businesses want to reach the people who come to live here – and growth in our business community is necessary for school and community development. You lose one leg of the stool and the other two fall.

I will be respectfully requesting the CBC’s endorsement as a candidate for City Council – and I will be asking for your support, both at the February 14th Nominating Convention and in the May 4th election. It will be my objective on Council to energetically support economic growth and development – of both existing and new businesses – in order to maintain our balance and allow our schools and community to continue to grow and develop.

My wife, Sarita Gopal, and I have two children in the school system. I have been a lawyer and banker for over 15 years and it will be my intention to apply my professional skills and experiences to benefit the work of the Council and the citizens of the City of Falls Church.

Craig Cheney

The School System is one of the centerpieces why people move to Falls Church and in many cases stay long after their children are gone. The dedicated administrators, teachers, and staff work hard to make it the highly valued and well-managed institution that it is. Yet, there are no miracles at work when it comes to achieving this excellence. Only continuous and daily hard work and attention to all of the system’s components – its staff, curriculum, physical buildings, finances, management philosophies, and compliance with laws and policies – will allow us to remain proud of what he have 5, 10, and 20 years in the future. This need for hard work and constant attention is why I have chosen to seek the CBC nomination.

There are three primary issues that drive my desire to be on the School Board.

I want to ensure that all of the current issues the school system faces – hiring and working with a new Superintendent, building the new school building within the budget, and integrating the changes that will come as the new school comes on line – are fully discussed in the community and good decisions are made about how to make the newly configured system work efficiently. This includes good decisions on calendars, school schedules, and transportation.

I want to make sure that we continue the tradition of a well-managed school system financially. I want to be able to ensure all citizens that their hard-earned tax dollars remain spent efficiently and effectively. This will always require hard choices and tradeoffs. Again, these need full discussion.

Finally, I want to make sure that the entire community – those with children in the system and those without – benefits from the new school building and the entire complex of schools that we have. These are community resources. We need to make sure that our physical school assets remain open to all and contribute to the overall quality of life in the City.

My professional work involves addressing environmental issues from the making of nuclear weapons, both in the US and in Russia, and in improving the planning and implementation of major Federal government projects. Many of the skills that I use everyday will be assets in my work for the citizens of our City as a member of the School Board.

I ask for your support at the CBC nominating convention on Saturday and, if successful, your vote in the upcoming election.