Reston Association board fills vacant at-large seat with longtime resident

(Updated at 1:50 p.m. on 6/24/2023) Reston Association’s Board of Directors has filled a seat vacated by Sarah Selvaraj-Dsouza last month.

At a meeting last night (Thursday), the board voted unanimously to select Jalal Mapar as the next at-large board director. He was one of six candidates who filed applications to fill the vacated seat and one of three who spoke at the board meeting.

Mapar will remain in the seat until the next annual election, during which members will select the new director. RA’s elections typically take place in the spring.

As a senior advisor for Emerging Technologies, Mapar has lived in Reston for more than 30 years. Earlier this year, he campaigned for an at-large seat on the board of directors that ultimately went to Trevor Grywatch.

He told the board that he hopes to establish and implement a strategic plan that prepares Reston’s infrastructure for its future and meet the needs of RA members.

“Our infrastructure is aging,” Mapar said. “At the same time, our population is growing. We need forward-thinking leadership now more than ever.”

Other candidates who spoke at last night meeting’s included Margaret Perry — a former board director — and Amir Golalipour, a Reston resident since 2016 and a program manager with the Federal Highway Administration.

Fellow candidates William Rountree and Allen Schissler appeared for interviews in person and by Zoom, respectively, according to RA President John Farrell. Radhika Murari submitted an application but did not testify.

(Correction: This story originally said Roundtree and Schissler didn’t testify to the board.)

Selvaraj-D’Souza, former president of RA’s board, resigned on May 26 to focus on her other projects and her nonprofit advocacy organization Reston Strong.