Finarelli Announces Plans To Leave F.C. PIO Post
Susan Finarelli, for 13 years the chief public information officer for the City of Falls Church, announced in an email Tuesday her plans to leave her post at the end of March.
In a statement released to the News-Press yesterday, Finarelli wrote, “I’ve accomplished a lot during my 13 years with the City, from a website redesign to launching social media channels, to a derecho and a blizzard, to a 36-hour standoff and fires, a worldwide pandemic, and so much more. After being on-call 24/7 for weather, police events, and media inquiries, I look forward to joining an organization that allows for more work/personal life balance.
“I want to finish my service with the City on a positive note. I’m launching an e-form where community members can submit compliments for City staff: fallschurchva.gov/Compliments. It means the world to civil servants when they hear they’ve met or exceeded expectations. I hope people will take the time to let these hard-working employees know when they are appreciated.”
Person Elected New Chief Of F.C. Democratic Committee
Jeff Person, popular local activist in defense of disability services, was elected the new president of the Falls Church City Democratic Committee last week, replacing Cindy Cunningham.
Man Arrested for Alleged 1991 Murder in West F.C.
After three decades on the run, an estranged husband wanted for a 1991 murder in Fairfax County was arrested as he attempted to enter Costa Rica, according to Fairfax Police.
On April 30, 1991, officers responded to the 3100 block of Cofer Road in West Falls Church for a stabbing. Ana Jurado, 24, was found suffering from trauma to the upper body. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel declared Ana deceased at the scene.
Throughout the course of the investigation, Jose Lazaro Cruz, 24, her estranged husband, was identified as the perpetrator. On May 10, 1991, detectives secured a felony murder warrant for Cruz. However, he managed to evade arrest by fleeing to El Salvador.
In 1999, FCPD detectives continued their pursuit of justice and traveled to El Salvador to locate Jose Lazaro Cruz. During this trip, they gathered crucial information regarding Lazaro Cruz’s whereabouts and their meticulous efforts continued to lay the foundation for a thorough investigation.
In 2022, the Department of Justice informed Fairfax Police detectives that Lazaro Cruz had been apprehended while crossing into Costa Rica from Nicaragua. Costa Rican authorities detained Lazaro Cruz. After a year-and-a-half-long effort, it was confirmed that Lazaro Cruz would be brought back to face charges in Fairfax County. On January 18, he was surrendered to U.S. Marshals Service custody and extradited to the United States.
Koons Automotive Sold To Asbury Group
Twenty-nine franchises, six collision centers, 20 dealerships in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware and one of the U.S.’ highest volume Toyota dealerships constitute Falls Church-based Koons Automotive that has been sold to the Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., one of the U.S.’ largest automotive retail and service companies in the U.S.
“With the completion of this milestone transaction, Asbury is proud to add one of the best run dealership groups in the industry and extend our footprint into the thriving Washington-Baltimore market, an economically robust and fast growing region of our country,” said David Hult, Asbury’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Jim Koons’ passion for the car business, as well as his enthusiastic leadership of his group, is evident at every level of the Koons organization. Not only are Koons’ twenty dealerships consistent leaders in sales volume and customer satisfaction, they are also renowned for their positive employee and workplace culture, essential values we share at Asbury. We welcome Koons employees to the Asbury family, and are grateful for their hard work and talent, and for the Asbury team, in the successful completion of this historic transaction.”
It is reported that Crystal Koons, the public face of the company, will retain a position on the board.
Founded in 1973, Jim Koons Automotive Companies was one of only 13 private groups with over $3 billion in revenue in 2022. The group, comprised of top volume franchises including Toyota, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Kia, Hyundai, Volvo, Stellantis and General Motors, is the dominant retailer in the thriving Washington-Baltimore market, the fourth largest combined statistical area in the U.S. by population per 2020 census data. Koons’ revenue per dealership ranked tenth overall in 2022 according to Automotive News, and fifth in the U.S. for groups with greater than $2 billion in revenue.
“We are so pleased to see the successful transition of our company to Asbury, knowing that being part of this sterling organization will provide tremendous career opportunities for our employees and a continuation of exceptional service to our customers and community. Koons’ rich 50 year history could not have been achieved without the contributions and support of our stellar employees,” said Jim Koons, Chairman of Jim Koons Automotive Companies.
