Interview Time: 12:35-1:15PM

Gary Clemens, Clerk of the Circuit Court

Gary has lived in Loudoun County for 49 years, first residing in Sterling during his infant and toddler years. He resided in Leesburg briefly while the family home in Hamilton was being constructed. He was raised by John and the late Shirley Clemens in the small town of Hamilton where he resided for 23 years. After graduating from Loudoun Valley High School in Purcellville, Gary attended James Madison University. Returning to Western Loudoun following his graduation from JMU, Gary started a career as a paralegal with a law firm in Washington, D.C. He started coaching youth sports in Western Loudoun a few months after starting his first job. In 1991, Gary and Maria were married and settled in a relatively new development in Loudoun County called Ashburn Village. They started their family in Ashburn Village as their first son Zachary was born at the original Loudoun Hospital location in Leesburg. Gary and Maria became very active in the Ashburn Village community and were blessed to make many wonderful friends as the Ashburn community began to grow.

Gary began working as a deputy clerk in the Office of the Clerk of the Fairfax County Circuit Court in 1993 where he managed the largest circuit court clerk’s operation in . Gary and Maria were blessed with their second son, Nathaniel, who was also born at the original Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg. During his career in the circuit court clerk’s office in Fairfax County, he attended graduate school at and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.

With deep roots in Loudoun County, Gary always yearned to work in his home county and that opportunity came in 1996 as he was hired by the Loudoun County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney as an investigator. Subsequently, his job title changed to Case Manager and Gary assisted attorneys with the preparation of their cases for trial in the circuit court. During his tenure in this Loudoun office, Gary and Maria’s third son, Joel, was born in the new Loudoun Hospital located in Lansdowne.

Gary and Maria always remained active various community activities and community organizations, especially with youth activities and school activities. Gary served as a youth coach in Eastern Loudoun in various sports leagues for many years. He and Maria actively volunteered with parent-teacher organizations and the Booster club. Gary taught Sunday School classes at Hamilton Baptist Church for children, youth and college students for many years. He was appointed as the Broad Run District representative to the Advisory Commission on Youth in Loudoun County. Gary continues to support programs that benefit the youth in our communities as he visits local schools to provide information about the court system and local government. He has actively facilitated mock trial programs at several local high schools as part of Ethics Day programs. Gary started a volunteer intern program in the clerk’s office for college students who reside in Loudoun County several years ago and many local college students have participated in this program.

Gary and Maria have resided in the Ashburn area for the past 24 years. Their sons, Zachary, Nathaniel and Joel have all grown up in the Ashburn community. The family attends St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Ashburn where Maria and Gary serve as lector and commentator. Gary’s professional career has always involved the courts and courts administration.

DULLES AREA REALTORS® POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (DARPAC) 2015 CLERK OF THE COURT CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

NAME: Gary M. Clemens Campaign Name: Friends of Gary Clemens CAMPAIGN ADDRESS: P.O. Box 495, Leesburg, Virginia 20178 EMAIL: [email protected] PHONE (703) 729-4947

1. Why are you seeking election/re-election?

There are numerous reasons why I am seeking re-election as clerk of the circuit court in Loudoun County but allow me to focus on four primary reasons.

I am passionate about my service to the citizens of Loudoun County and there’s more I can do to serve the citizens for one more term of office. Loudoun County has been my home for my entire life and I love this county. It is an honor to serve Loudoun County and her residents each and every day. I believe my passion is evident as I have made significant improvements in customer service in the clerk’s office for the past 15 ½ years.

There is more work to be done to continue building on the numerous improvements I have made with respect to technology enhancements, new customer service programs, and the introduction of new technology programs in the courtrooms. Loudoun County needs the right person to lead the clerk’s office in the future to achieve these objectives and I am the only candidate who has the vision, the proven leadership and the experience to effectively and prudently achieve these objectives.

There has been considerable judicial turnover in the circuit court over the past two years as Judge James H. Chamblin and Judge Thomas D. Horne retired from the circuit court. The General Assembly appointed a fourth judicial position to the 20th Judicial Circuit, resulting in the allocation of a new judge position to the Loudoun County Circuit Court. As a result of the appointment of two new judges within the past 2 years and the appointment of a new judge on July 1, 2015, the circuit court is experiencing extensive changes with new judges and new judicial programs. Stability in the clerk’s office is critical in light of these major changes in the court and this is not the time for a change in leadership in the clerk’s office.

Loudoun County is embarking on a very significant capital building project related to the Courts Expansion Program for the Loudoun County courts. The County is relying on my experience as clerk of the circuit court to assist them with the planning and strategy for this major project. With 15 ½ years of experience as the Clerk of the Circuit Court, I can offer guidance and real-life experiences to assist the County with all phases of the Courts Expansion Program to ensure a more successful capital project than the County experienced in 1997 with the original courts expansion project. My partnerships and relationships with the other court and public safety agencies will contribute to the success of the current planning, coordination and collaboration that will be essential for a successful capital project for the courts.

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2. What existing problems do you see within the Clerk’s Office and what would you recommend to resolve them?

Overall, the clerk’s office is very effective in the delivery of services as we are fulfilling the mission of serving all citizens faithfully and impartially. My office frequently receives very favorable customer feedback as we deploy a customer survey system to ensure we are fulfilling our mission. The Loudoun County Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court is recognized by other clerks of circuit court as a highly effective organization which is one reason that my fellow clerks elected me to serve as president of the Virginia Court Clerks’ Association and I have been appointed to serve in numerous leadership positions since 2002, including chairman of the public relations committee, the legislative committee, the education committee and the technology committee.

Every organization experiences challenges and the clerk’s office is no exception. However, I view challenges as opportunities to expand the services I provide to our citizens. Here are a few examples of some challenges and what I have done and/or doing to make these challenges into opportunities.

One challenge is to reduce the local tax burden for the costs to run the Clerk’s Office. The Commonwealth of Virginia has neglected to provide sufficient funding for the clerk’s office for many years, resulting in Loudoun County having to fund more of my office operations. In fact, Loudoun County provides 70% of the funding for my office while the mandates for the services I provide are found in the Code of Virginia, not County ordinance. I have worked hard for 15 ½ years to pursue more state funding or other alternatives for funding to reduce the burden on the taxpayers in Loudoun County. I have been successful in acquiring more state grant funding to finance technology programs so I have not had to request any funds from the Board of Supervisors for technology improvements and enhancements. I have also used remote access subscription fees that I charge to clients who review digital deeds and land records to cover the costs for maintenance and upgrades to our current technology systems so I do not have to request local funding for this purpose. While the challenge to reduce local funding continues, I am confident that I will continue to do my part to reduce the local tax burden on Loudoun’s citizens.

Another significant challenge is the increasing caseload for civil court cases in Loudoun County. While the caseload has surged over the past few years, I have avoided additional expenditures typically associated with additional personnel costs by deploying cost-effective digital technologies. I have converted all of the pending court files to digital images which allows attorneys and litigants to more conveniently review public court case information. Additionally, using digital technologies for court cases makes my deputy clerks more efficient. By using these digital technologies, I have met the challenge of increasing caseload. However, the caseload continues to rise as the County’s population continues to rise. Loudoun County needs an experienced clerk to continue to lead in the future to properly manage operations effectively while caseload continues to rise.

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A third significant challenge is the office configuration for the clerk’s office in the current Courts Complex. There is insufficient office space for my office to operate at maximum efficiency. This presents a very frustrating challenge for me as I know my office can achieve a higher level of efficiency and effectiveness but we lack the proper office space. Wayfinding for citizens is challenging as a result of the insufficient office space. My team and I have developed creative ways of delivering services despite the challenges of insufficient office space and I continue to expand the use of remote technologies to improve client services. Many of my clients can conduct business with my office remotely and they are not required to physically come to the Courts Complex. I will continue my efforts to improve the office configuration to better service my clients as I work closely with the County’s Capital Improvements team during the Courts Expansion project.

A fourth challenge is addressing the growing trend of more individuals attempting to represent themselves in court cases. These self-represented individuals, referred to as pro se litigants, demand a lot of my staff’s time and their court cases typically increase the amount of time that our judges devote to court hearings. My staff and I frequently attempt to encourage these individuals to consult with an attorney or retain the services of an attorney as some of these court cases can become unnecessarily complicated if one lacks sufficient legal training and experience. My office provides legal referral information, including discounted legal services, with the goal of affording them the opportunity to receive some legal advice. Under Virginia law, the clerk and the clerk’s deputies cannot provide any legal advice. Additionally, my deputy clerks are not licensed attorneys so they are not qualified to dispense any legal advice. To address this challenge, I have invested resources to enhance the law library services by providing online legal resource information which is easier to use than the typical law books that attorneys use. I expanded the law library to a full-time operation by enhancing the law librarian position from part-time to a full-time position. Working with a team of local attorneys, I created first-ever pro se litigant handbook for divorce cases and after receiving authority from the circuit court judges. My office provides this handbook for free to individuals who decide to represent themselves in divorce cases. The pro se litigant divorce handbook was created because the largest volume of cases involving pro se litigants is divorce cases. I am currently working with a team of local attorneys on the next pro se litigant handbook for cases involving the appointment of conservators and guardians as we have more individuals representing themselves in these types of court cases.

3. If elected, how would you structure your office in order to ensure the best customer service, i.e. office locations, staffing levels and training strategies?

In the past 15 ½ years, I have introduced and implemented numerous customer service programs such as an enhanced and comprehensive website, the creation of the first-ever historic records program in the clerk’s office, an official office department dedicated exclusively to probate services, an automated and digitized deed recording system, an Electronic-recording system for deeds, a remote access subscription service for land records, remote access service to digital court files for licensed attorneys, an online marriage license application system, an online business name application system and a full-time law library service. These are a few examples of the customer service programs I have implemented during my administration that provide a positive experience for a variety of clients. I will continue to expand on these successful customer service programs and introduce new customer service programs such as the electronic filing of court cases and legal pleadings, courtroom technology programs to increase the efficiencies for the adjudication of court cases, enhanced juror services to reduce the number of days that 3 jurors are required to serve jury duty and pursue more online technologies for historic records to create a virtual museum of historic records clerk’s office.

The next clerk of the circuit court will be responsible for working with County officials to properly plan the next phase of the Courts Expansion project. This next project will impact the eventual outcome of office locations in the clerk’s office. With my combined 22 years of experience with legal and court services, I am the best candidate to oversee the transformation of the clerk’s office for the future. Additionally, with the implementation of digital technologies for deeds/land records, marriage license applications, business name applications and digital court files and digital historic records on the internet, I have already provided a virtual office environment for a majority of clients and the citizens of Loudoun County. Providing remote access to various services and information is the best office location as it is the most convenient. My remote access systems also reduces the office space required for onsite public research which reduces costs for capital improvements.

I have a very dedicated team of deputy clerks who provide excellent customer service. Despite workload increases in the clerk’s office, I have been able to maintain a very conservative budget due to the implementation and successful deployment of multiple technologies over the past 12 years. My goal is to always embrace more prudent technologies instead of spending more taxpayer funds on staffing. However, I am prepared to request more taxpaying funding for staffing if I conclude that the request is justified by data and the additional funding for personnel is a good investment. Any increased expenditures for personnel must contribute to the mission of the clerk’s office and it must be measurable to ensure the investment provides organizational benefits resulting in improved customer service.

Training of staff is important to ensure a reliable workforce in any organization and under my leadership, I have assembled a highly creative and innovative team of employees. I have invested substantial time and resources for training for my team. My staff looks to me for advice and guidance daily so it is critical to have a clerk who is familiar with the vast array of diverse statutory obligations mandated by the Code of Virginia. By virtue of my partnership with the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Virginia Court Clerks’ Association (VCCA), I provide extensive training opportunities to my deputy clerks. I also conduct mentor training by using my more experienced deputy clerks to train our newer employees. I have served on the VCCA Education Committee which develops and updates training guides and manuals that are used by clerks and deputy clerks all over Virginia. During my tenure as clerk, I implemented a deputy clerk certification program in a partnership with the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia and the County Administrator. As a result of this certification program, 38 deputy clerks have achieved deputy clerk certification in the past 10 years. These training efforts have resulted in improved client services My clients frequently provide positive feedback via customer surveys conveying appreciation for good service and knowledgeable staff.

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4. What do you feel are the most important duties of your office?

I cannot pick just one duty that is the most important. The Clerk of the Circuit Court has more than 800 duties as mandated by the Code of Virginia. All of these duties are vital because they directly impact the citizens of Loudoun County. To address the workload demands on the clerk’s office resulting from the growth in Loudoun County, I have implemented significant organizational changes in the clerk’s office to ensure we maximize our customer service delivery. I created organization divisions that provide specialized services and I have assigned our most experienced deputy clerks to these divisions who specialize with specific statutory duties. These organization divisions include the following:

Land Records Division – This division is recognized by title companies as one of the best land records divisions in Virginia. Provides services related to deed recordation, retention of deeds and land records, tax collection for deeds and mortgages, and public access to deeds, judgments and land records information.

Probate Division – This division is recognized by attorneys as one of the best probate divisions in Virginia. Adjudicates the probate of wills and estates, appoints guardians and conservators, and appoints testamentary trustees.

Criminal Division – Administers the case management services for criminal court cases, communicates and transmits critical case status information to public safety agencies in Virginia and Loudoun County, provides court information and court case filing information for judicial review and public inspection and collects fines and costs associated with criminal cases.

Civil Division – Administers case management services for civil court cases, provides court information and court case filing information for judicial review, provides public inspection of court files via online digital technologies, issues concealed handgun permits, processes garnishments, and collects bonds.

Judicial Service Division – Provides judicial services to judges in courtroom proceedings, assess fines and costs, prepares all criminal court orders related to conviction and sentencing, prepares reports for criminal cases, and manages all evidence for the judge during trials.

Jury Management Division – Issues annual juror surveys, assembles jury commissioners to establish qualified jury pools, issues juror summons for jury duty, provides jury trial assistance to the judges, assembles jurors for Grand Jury, administers the juror orientation program and schedules jurors for jury trials.

Public Services Division – Issues marriage licenses, notary public commissions and business name applications.

Administration Division – Management and oversight of personnel, budget, project management, courts expansion planning, information technology, law library, training, accounting, procurement and finance for the entire clerk’s office.

As the list of unique and diverse duties listed above suggests, Loudoun County needs a highly experienced Clerk of Circuit Court to properly administer these diverse and unique duties. Without the proper leadership, qualifications and experience, the clerk’s office will not be able to deliver the high quality services our citizens expect and deserve in Loudoun County.

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5. What will you do to improve technology and information access for REALTORS® and the public?

During my administration as your Clerk of the Circuit Court, I have introduced numerous technologies that help realtors and the public while promoting more efficient public access to public information.

The land records automation system was implemented in 2002 which provides an effective and efficient means to process all deeds, deeds of trust, and land records that are submitted to the clerk for legal recordation. This system has eliminated the need to retain paper records as all deeds and land records are retained in digital format. This system saves time and money and provides a more effective means to allocate resources. The digital retention system streamlines the research of deeds and land records because realtors, title companies and others conducting research of public records can search online for records dating back to the late-1800’s The conversion of paper records to digital format will continue to improve efficiency, streamline internal processing and increase public access to public records. My land records system received the 2005 Best Government Practices Award from the International City/County Managers Association.

The remote access to deeds subscription service that I implemented in 2004 has provided substantial benefits to professionals who are in the business of using deed and land records information. To date, we have 784 subscribers to our remote access service. These subscribers include title companies, surveyors, attorneys, settlement companies, realtors, civil engineers, government agencies, public safety officials and citizens. By virtue of providing remote access to deeds and land records, I have been able to reduce the volume of office space required to offer public access to these records because fewer people come to the clerk’s office to conduct business. Those individuals who do visit the clerk’s office to conduct research receive improved service because my staff can provide more personal service to those who need assistance with their research. The remote access program also contributes to a reduction of cars on Loudoun’s already congested roads because title examiners and attorneys do not have to visit the clerk’s office to perform title research. The fees that are assessed for subscription service are used to finance the maintenance of the current technologies and to finance technology enhancements. I have not requested any funding from the Board of Supervisors for technology enhancements because I have established a fee structure for remote access that covers the technology expenses.

In 2009, I introduced the first online marriage license application service in Virginia. This system allows citizens to register for a marriage license through my office website and complete the process online. While the bride and groom still have to make a personal appearance in my office consistent with Virginia law, the online marriage license system speeds up the process. In 2010, I implemented an online registration system for business name applications which allows citizens who are starting a business to register online. My online marriage license and business name application systems received the 2010 Best Government Practices Award from the National Association of Counties.

In 2013, I implemented an Electronic Recording of deeds system (E-Recording) which allows title companies, mortgage companies and attorneys to submit deeds electronically. As of May 18, 2015, forty-three percent (43%) of the deed recordings were being submitted electronically. This E-Recording systems offers substantial efficiencies to my office as well as to our clients who do business with us electronically and remotely. The E-

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Recording is another initiative that reduces the volume of cars on the road in Loudoun County as my clients do not have to travel to the local courthouse to record deeds.

A significant volume of the historic records in the clerk’s office which date back to 1757 have successfully preserved and digitized so the digital representation of these valuable records can be accessible on our office website. Additionally, by virtue of a partnership with the Library of Virginia, we have thousands of historic court papers available for inspection on the Library of Virginia website. I will continue to provide more historic records for online research as we complete the critical conservation and preservation efforts of some of the fragile historic court papers from 1757 - 1885.

These programs are just a few examples of how I have used technology solutions to enhance client services and promote public access to public information. I have plans to continue these efforts to expand the collection of digital records so I can provide more public information to realtors and citizens. I have enclosed some copies of press releases issued by my office to illustrate ways I try to provide information to citizens regarding the services my office provides.

6. Please briefly describe what best qualifies you to hold the office for which you are running.

I am the only candidate with the qualification of experience as the Clerk of the Circuit Court. I have served for the past 15 ½ years as the Clerk of the Circuit Court and I have proven experience to continue serving as Loudoun’s Clerk. In addition to serving as the Loudoun Clerk of the Circuit Court, I served for 3 years as a senior deputy clerk in the Fairfax County Circuit Court where I managed the largest court division in Virginia. I served as a case manager and criminal investigator for the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Loudoun County for 3 years. I worked as a paralegal in a law firm for 5 years where I gained valuable experience in the Washington D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia courts. I have a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from George Mason University and I was certified as a Virginia Circuit Court Clerk by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.

Based upon my successful leadership and experience, the Virginia Court Clerk’s Association has appointed me to various leadership positions including the legislative committee, the public relations committee, the technology committee and the education committee. I have served as president of the Virginia Court Clerks’ Association and the president of the Virginia Association of Constitutional Officers.

I have other skills and talents that I believe make me the more qualified candidate. I have demonstrated effective communication and collaboration skills as I have implemented numerous customer service improvements by virtue of working closely and effectively with my deputy clerks, my clients, other government agencies and citizens. My abilities to establish teams to address challenges and create solutions have resulted in improvements. I have developed partnerships with other clerks of court to develop regional approaches to serve our mutual clients. I have collaborated with other constitutional officers such as Bob Wertz, the Commissioner of the Revenue, to develop data interfaces to enhance public access to deeds and assessments information. I teamed up with the County Mapping Office and combined our resources to convert hundreds of old county maps to digital images that are used by both agencies to deliver services to citizens.

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With my coaching approach to mentoring and collaborating, I can successfully and positively motivate and inspire my employees to create innovative, effective and useful programs to enhance customer service. My coaching style has allowed me to assemble teams of people to review issues and create solutions resulting in improved services and better outcomes in program administration.

Based upon my qualifications, I have received the endorsements of the two living retired Loudoun County Clerks of the Circuit Court, the Honorable Richard Kirk and the Honorable Fred Howard. As former Clerks of the Circuit Court, they can attest to my abilities to continue leading this vital constitutional office in the future.

7. What is the chief factor that differentiates you from your opponent?

Experience is chief factor that differentiates me from my opponent. I have committed my entire professional career to legal services and courts management having served as a paralegal, deputy clerk, court manager, criminal investigator, case manager and a clerk of the circuit court since 1988. My opponent has no experience with courts management and the administration of a constitutional office. I have demonstrated my ability to lead this important constitutional office for the past 15 ½ years. My opponent has no track record of leadership of a constitutional office. I have been at the helm of the Clerk’s Office during Loudoun County’s period of explosive growth and have successfully led the Clerk’s Office during this significant era of Loudoun’s history. My opponent has not led any government agency during a period of explosive growth.

The workload and caseload of civil and criminal court cases will continue to increase and with new 3 new circuit judges who have been or will be appointed within the past two years, we are facing significant judicial changes. Therefore, proven and consistent leadership in the Clerk’s Office is essential at this time to ensure we can continue providing premium services to our clients and to our citizens. The complexity of circuit court cases coupled with the increasing volume creates significant demands on processing and records retention. The clerk must have extensive experience with records management and retention practices to maintain the integrity of the statutory obligations manifested in the Clerk’s Office. I have extensive court records and case processing management experience. My opponent has none.

At this point, with all of the judicial changes that have occurred in the past two years and with more judicial change on the horizon, this is not the time for someone with no experience to test the waters of running the Clerk’s Office. Now is the time for proven leadership and I pledge to continue productively and effectively leading the Clerk’s Office for the benefit of all citizens in Loudoun County. I took an oath in December of 1999 and again in December of 2007 to faithfully and impartially discharge the duties as Clerk of the Circuit Court according to the best of my abilities. I have fulfilled that oath and will continue to do so if the voters of Loudoun County will honor me with their vote in November.

8. Why do you feel it is important to have the support of REALTORS®? And, if offered, will you accept the REALTOR® endorsement and/or funding from our PAC?

I have a very positive working relationship and effective partnership with DAAR. I have provided presentations to DAAR members regarding my land records automation efforts, the remote access to deeds subscription service, legislative updates and general information about the clerk’s office to assist realtors. I 8 have hosted information sessions at the clerk’s office for DAAR members to provide general information regarding the deed recording process, the research of deeds and other information related to the service I provide to citizens.

I have worked very closely with DAAR on legislative efforts of mutual interest to DAAR and circuit court clerks or legislation that is mutually beneficial to DAAR and Loudoun County. My partnership with DAAR on these legislative efforts have yielded positive results that benefit realtors but most importantly, our joint efforts have provided benefits to the citizens of Loudoun County.

For these reasons, the support of realtors is important to me because I value the wonderful partnership I have with DAAR. I truly believe I am the best candidate to ensure we maintain a very effective, collaborative and productive partnership which will serve the best interests of DAAR, clerks of circuit court and all citizens.

Should I be fortunate to receive your endorsement, I will proudly accept the endorsement and accept any financial contribution you deem appropriate. I can assure you that any donation DAAR provides me will be a good investment for the future of Loudoun County as I will continue to implement effective and efficient programs for our citizens. The investment is good for DAAR for another reason as an efficient and effective Clerk’s Office does ensure the County has a good bonding rating. A clerk’s office that is not properly managed and lacks quality leadership may experience financial issues resulting in revenue losses for the County. Since the clerk’s office provides substantial revenue for the County, substantial losses in revenue attributed to a lack of management experience could impact the County’s bond rating. Any negative impact on the County’s bond rating can impact the image that prospective home buyers have of Loudoun County which in turn could result in negative impacts to the real estate professionals.

9. Is there any other information you would like REALTORS® to know about yourself that was not covered in any of our questions?

I have collected some testimonials from individuals who can attest to my qualifications and these individuals have a direct relationship with DAAR. Enclosed please find testimonials from Delegate Randy Minchew, Robert Gordon, who owns Loudoun Commercial Title and Bob Caines from Team Caines/REMAX. These testimonials are indicative of the opinions that my stakeholder clients have of my leadership as the Clerk of the Circuit Court. In the annual Best of Loudoun Reader’s Poll in the Leesburg Today newspaper, I was selected as one of the best public servants in Loudoun County for 2015.

It is also relevant to point out that my contributions to Loudoun County extend beyond the normal business hours as the Clerk of the Circuit Court. I have invested substantial time and resources to various community service projects and non-profit organizations. I have coached youth sports in Loudoun County for 20 years as I have coached youth teams in the Loudoun Youth Soccer Association, Western Loudoun Basketball League, Farmwell Station Basketball League, and Dulles Little League. I served as the Broad Run District representative on the Commission on Youth and the Broad Run District representative on the Community Criminal Justice Board. I was a member of the Leesburg Daybreak Rotary Club for 11 years and provided countless hours of community service. I currently serve on the regional board of directors for the Loudoun County United Way, on the board for the Visit Loudoun Foundation and the board for the Patriot Project. The Visit Loudoun Foundation provides scholarships to Loudoun County high school seniors who plan to pursue degrees in the hospitality and tourism field. The Patriot Project is a local non- profit organization that is building a statue to honor the veterans of the American Revolutionary War.

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I host courthouse tours and education programs for various high schools in Loudoun County and I visit government classes at some schools to provide presentations on the court system and local government. I have assisted various high schools with mock trial programs that these schools use for their Ethics Day programs. In fact, I have helped coordinate the mock trial programs for Stone Bridge High School for the past 12 years. Several high school principals have requested me to speak to their respective senior classes at Senior Day to share information regarding the civic duties that these young people have in society. I implemented a Summer intern program for local residents who are college students 10 years ago. This Summer intern program provides valuable, real-life experience to these college students as they learn about the court system, local government and business. In the past 10 years, 32 college students have participated in my Summer intern program. These are just a few examples of my partnership with youth and our public schools to help supplement the educational experiences of our young citizens.

10. If elected are you willing to meet with the Dulles Area Association of REALTORS® leaders to discuss issues of importance to home owners and our industry?

Of course I am willing to meet with any DAAR leaders at any time to discuss issues of importance to DAAR. I have been working closely with DAAR for many years, and rest assured, I will continue to work very closely with DAAR in a very collaborative and productive way.

DAAR’s clients and realtor’s clients are also my clients so as your clerk of the circuit court, I pledge to continue working closely with DAAR to ensure we are both accountable and helpful to our mutual clients.

nd Please return the completed form FRIDAY, MAY 22 to Christine Windle, Director, Public Policy via email ([email protected]) or mail at 21720 Red Rum Drive, #177, Ashburn, VA 20147. Please include copies of campaign literature if available.

Please note:  Responses received after the May 22nd deadline will not be accepted.  Candidates who choose not to respond to this questionnaire will not be invited to participate in DARPAC’s candidate endorsement process.

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