JUST IN: Tysons Community Alliance selects first permanent CEO

The Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) has its first permanent leader.

Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol will take over as the first permanent CEO on July 5, the community improvement district announced today (Tuesday).

Cristol, who announced last year that she won’t seek reelection, will replace Richard Bradley, who has served as acting CEO since the TCA was created in October to replace the Tysons Partnership as a nonprofit advocacy organization for Tysons.

TCA Chair Josh White lauded Cristol’s work in Arlington in the announcement:

We are thrilled to have Katie Cristol as the new CEO for the Tysons Community Alliance. Katie has a proven track record of championing inclusivity, collaboration and community engagement. She is a well-respected leader and consummate professional with experience in catalyzing communities and urban management planning efforts in transportation, sustainability and economic development. We are thrilled to have her leading the organization as we continue to progress our work at the TCA and for Tysons.

Publicly launched in February, the TCA promotes economic and community development in Tysons, overseeing the implementation of Fairfax County’s comprehensive plan for the area. It’s currently funded by public investments, but it will ultimately be supported by local property owners.

County leaders believe that funding structure will be more sustainable than the Tysons Partnership, which relied on county funds and private donations.

In a statement, Cristol said she’s interested in working with the TCA because of its focus “on community building and inclusive, equitable economic growth, along with its vision for Tysons as a thriving regional downtown.”

“Particularly exciting to me is how the TCA has already brought together the private and public sector and created a foundation of collaborative partnership on which to build,” she said. “In the months ahead, we’ll be growing the efforts already underway in coalition building and strategic planning, while starting to deliver tactical results and improvements for the Tysons community.”

Here is more on Cristol from the TCA’s press release:

Cristol is a recognized leader in the region. In addition to serving on the Arlington County Board for eight years, she served on numerous boards including the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission where she also served as Chair. Additionally, she has served in leadership roles in the Virginial Municipal League, The Virginia Railway Express Operations Board and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Human Services Policy Committee. She is a strong advocate for affordable housing, racial equity and women’s issues. She holds a public policy master’s degree from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.

Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik, who was a key advocate for the TCA’s creation, expressed enthusiasm for the TCA Board of Directors’ choice for CEO.

“Cristol will bring the necessary energy and broad approach to the TCA,” Palchik said. “She is an organized and strategic leader who knows how to move the needle to get key initiatives across the finish line. Her enthusiasm and ability to push projects forward within a collaborative environment will serve Tysons and the TCA well. We are thrilled to have her serve as the TCA’s new CEO.”

The TCA organized its first major public event last month — the “Pedal with Petals” family bicycle ride at Tysons Corner Center — in conjunction with the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The organization is also recruiting volunteers to help plant cherry trees in the area, an event that was scheduled for last Friday (April 28) but got postponed by weather to this Saturday (May 6).

The TCA has a calendar of other forthcoming events in Tysons on its website, which also has general information about the urban center.