Fairfax County has lost another influential elected representative and public servant.
Former Hunter Mill District supervisor Cathy Hudgins, who made local history when she was first elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 1999, died on Saturday, May 25 at the age of 81, her family announced over the weekend.
A programmer and analyst for AT&T who later transitioned into public service, including a stint as chief of staff for then-Chairman Katherine Hanley, Hudgins was the first woman and first non-white person elected to the county board, which she served on from 2000 until 2019.
As one of the first residents of Reston, where she had lived with her late husband Willie Hudgins Jr. since 1969, Hudgins was a committed advocate for community’s founding principles of inclusion, housing for all and a mixed-use, walkable environment — even as her support for additional development brought her into conflict with some residents concerned about the impacts on traffic and their quality of life.
“If we can get to a point where we have the diversity of transportation uses and the people who work here can live here, we will learn that we can have a really great community, even as it changes,” Hudgins told FFXnow’s predecessor, Reston Now, as she prepared to retire in December 2019.
Like Rep. Gerry Connolly, who passed away on May 21, Hudgins was instrumental to shepherding Metro’s Silver Line project to fruition. In addition to representing Reston, Vienna and part of Tysons as the Hunter Mill District supervisor, she served as a principal director for Virginia on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Board of Directors for 11 years.
Other accomplishments she highlighted from her tenure on the board included the rollout of free bus passes for high school students and an expansion of kindergarten from a half-day to a full-day program in 2011. She also helped oversee the creation of the Southgate Community Center, which opened in 2006 and was renamed after her in 2021.
Though she represented Hunter Mill District, her legacy can be seen throughout Fairfax County, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said in a statement, noting that he collaborated with Hudgins on the One Fairfax policy adopted in 2016 to promote racial and social equity.
“Cathy and I had a shared vision in ensuring Fairfax County was forward thinking while acknowledging our past in making sure we created an environment where everyone is provided an opportunity to reach their full potential,” McKay said. “… Cathy’s influence on our County will live on as the Board of Supervisors keeps One Fairfax core to everything we do. My heart and thoughts go out to the Hudgins’ family and loved ones.”
Hudgins’s successor, current Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, also highlighted her work on One Fairfax as well as her involvement in the creation of the Successful Children and Youth Policy Team to coordinate efforts to support children by the county government, public schools and community organizations.
In her personal life, Hudgins was involved in the Reston community as a PTA president at Forest Edge Elementary School.
“Cathy changed Fairfax County Government for the better, and helped ensure that all voices in Fairfax County are heard and the needs of all are addressed,” Alcorn said. “… Cathy truly helped make the world a better place, and for that we are all grateful. Thank you, Cathy, for all you did and for your life of service.”
Fairfax County said in a press release that it’s “deeply saddened” by Hudgins’s passing, describing her as a “pioneering leader and dedicated public servant who made an indelible impact on the community.”
A funeral for Hudgins will be held on June 6 at Saint Thomas A. Becket Catholic Church (1421 Wiehle Avenue) in Reston. Visitations will start at 10 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 11 a.m. and a reception from 12:30-1:45 p.m.
The full obituary shared by her family can be found below.
Catherine Agness Martin Hudgins, a trailblazing public servant and longtime advocate for equitable transit and community development, passed away on Saturday May 24, 2025, at the age of 81. Known to many as Cathy, she served as the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for the Hunter Mill District from 2000 until her retirement in 2019, leaving a profound legacy on the region’s transportation infrastructure and civic life.
Born in 1944 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Hudgins dedicated her life to public service and community empowerment. After earning a Bachelor of Science from the University of Arkansas, she moved to Washington, DC where she met her husband Willie L. Hudgins, Jr., now deceased. The two eventually moved to Reston, Virginia, in 1969, becoming some of the first residents of the highly successful planned community. She later earned a Master of Public Administration from George Mason University.
Before her career in public office, she worked for twelve years in the private sector as a programmer, consultant, and analyst for AT&T. Hudgins’ public service began with the Democratic National Committee, where she served with the Virginia Democratic National Committee as committeewoman. Later she served as Secretary of the Fairfax County Electoral Board. She became Chief of Staff for the Board of Supervisors for the Chair, the Honorable Katherine Hanley, before being elected to the Board herself in 1999.
Hudgins made history as the first female African American and non-white person elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, representing the Hunter Mill District in 1999. Her 20-year tenure was marked by tireless advocacy for the county’s growing diversity, affordable housing, and sustainable community development. During her multiple terms as a Supervisor, she served as the Chair of the Board’s Human Services and Housing and Community Development Committees, and was a member of the Governing Board for the Initiative to Prevent and End Homelessness.
During her two decades of leadership, she championed affordable housing, diversity, and sustainable growth, but her most enduring impact was in the realm of transportation.
Hudgins was a principal director for Virginia on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Board. She served 11 years on the WMATA Board of Directors, including serving as WMATA Board Chairman in 2011-2012 where she spearheaded several changes to improve WMATA’s governance and oversaw a process in which the transit agency adopted its first-ever bylaws and modernized code of ethics. In this capacity, she was instrumental in shaping regional transit policy and advocating for investments that would transform mobility across Northern Virginia and the greater Washington metropolitan area.
Among her most celebrated achievements was her critical and pivotal role in bringing the Silver Line Metrorail service to Tysons Corner, Reston, and Dulles International Airport. Hudgins was a tireless leader and consensus-builder throughout the multi-decade planning and construction of the Silver Line, the largest expansion of the Metrorail system in more than two decades. Her vision and advocacy ensured that the project not only became a reality but also served as a catalyst for economic growth and transit-oriented development in the Dulles Corridor. At the opening of the Silver Line’s first phase in 2014, Hudgins reflected on the magnitude of the achievement, stating: “Today is the culmination of many years of planning and implementing one of the largest infrastructure projects in Fairfax County. It is the beginning of a new Dulles Corridor and more economic growth for Fairfax County”. She recognized that the Silver Line was a “game changer for Fairfax County economically and it will improve the quality of life for many families in our community.”
Beyond transportation, Hudgins was a passionate advocate for human services and affordable housing, chairing the Board’s Human Services and Housing Committee and leading efforts such as the creation of the Southgate Community Center. The center remains as one of her most enduring legacies. Hudgins led efforts to secure funding, negotiate land leases, and shape programming, ensuring the center became a vibrant hub for the community. In recognition of her impact, the facility was renamed the Cathy Hudgins Community Center at Southgate in 2021.
Throughout her career, Hudgins was known for her deep commitment to constituent service, her ability to find solutions for those in need, and her vision for inclusive, equitable neighborhoods. She served on numerous regional boards and commissions, advocating for sustainable transportation and land use, and was a respected leader in the Democratic Party. Her commitment to improving the lives of those in often-overlooked neighborhoods was widely recognized and celebrated by colleagues and constituents alike.
During her years of public service, Hudgins also served on many boards, including, the Virginia Association of Counties, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, COG’s National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), and Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC).
She also received many awards and honors over the years, including the Community Builder’s Award from the Community Preservation and Development Corporation in 2012; the Elizabeth and David Scull Metropolitan Public Service Award from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in 2012; Public Official of the Year from the Virginia Transit Association in 2010; the Phyllis Campbell Newsome Public Policy Leadership Award from the Center for Nonprofit Advancement in 2006; an Honoree Award from the Fairfax County Branch, NAACP in 2003; the Mental Health Community Contributor Award from the Fairfax-Falls Church Mental Health Advocacy Community in 2003; and the Wayne F. Anderson Award for Distinguished Public Service from George Mason University in 2002. Most recently on May 16th, 2025, she was the latest recipient of the Katherine Hanley Public Service Award presented by Leadership Fairfax.
Hudgins is survived by her sister Delores Muse, her two sons Michael Hudgins and Tony Hudgins, her daughter-in law Sarah Wolf, and her two granddaughters Ellis Hudgins Wolf and Collins Hudgins Wolf. Due to her work and commitment, she leaves behind a strong and thriving community that continues to benefit from her vision and dedication. Her legacy endures in the trains that now connect Tysons, Reston, and Dulles Airport to the heart of the region, and in the vibrant, inclusive neighborhoods she helped to build. That legacy will continue to live on in the vibrant, diverse communities she helped build and the countless lives she touched through her unwavering dedication to public service.
Screenshot via Fairfax County/YouTube
