In the program begun by the Falls Church Citizens for a Better City (CBC) in 2014, this school year a whopping 57 high school juniors and seniors applied, were interviewed and recommended by the CBC for appointment as non-voting members to City of Falls Church boards and commissions, the Electoral Board and a variety of civic organizations.

The CBC’s Nancy Brandon introduced the students’ names during Mondays online City Council meeting, and the students were sworn in during a collective online event Tuesday afternoon.

The fifty-seven is a record number of applicants for the program, growing from 17 in the first year. Brandon said it is only program of its kind in the U.S. Nominated and sworn in this week are: City Boards and Commissions: Emerson Mellon, Arts and Humanities Council; Annie Moore and Kathernie Teague, Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Transportation; Richard “Rex” Crespin and James Trombo, Economic Development Authority; Hanna Hall and Andrea Valderrama, Electoral Board; Max Caboti-Jones, Meike Van der Steen, Maia Vollen, Environmental Sustainability Council; Sarah Lambert, Historical Commission; Jessica Cummings and Jillian Kendrick, Housing Commission; Joseph Dakin, Eva Williams and David Ziayee, Human Services Advisory Council; Raissa Borges and Erin Tarpgaard, Library Board of Trustees; Thomas Downs and Nate Kusic, Recreation and Parks Advisory Board; Dylan Petrillo, Urban Forestry Commission; Civic Organizations: Marco Ferrara and Anna Tarter, Chamber of Commerce; Elle Ehrlich and Coleman Gardner, Creative Cauldron; Joseph Burke, Ella Reithinger, Elisabeth Snyder, and Grace Tarpgaard, Falls Church Democratic Committee; Ariana Hameed, Alexis Holewinski and Lauren Mellon, Falls Church Education Foundation; Dominik Krotzer and Sara Rollins, Falls Church Homeless Shelter; Emma McDonald, Falls Church League of Women Voters; Stella Turner, Falls Church Women’s History; George Vogel-Rogers, Lions Club; Hans Abruzzi, Hope Kleinberg and Olivia Scappa, Tinner Hill Social Justice Committee; Lena Csaszi and Alexis Niemi, Village Preservation Society.