Christian Pilling, Patch Staff

<b>Email: </b>christian.pilling&#64;patch.com<br><b>Phone: </b>571-329-8146<br><b>Hometown: </b>Philadelphia, PA<br><b>Birthday</b>: July 15

<br><b>Bio </b>

I&#39;m new to Northern Virginia, as I moved to the area for this position. But I see myself as the part of a larger contingency of Arlington young professionals who are also transplants. Out of the many sites available in the DC-area, I chose this one for its cool mix of culture, smart people, and urban-ness. I also chose it for the incredible amount of important news that comes out of the area! I think that Patch is the perfect tool for residents looking for the latest on their Arlington &#34;Urban Villages.&#34;

I graduated from Northwestern University&#39;s Medill School in June with a concentration in broadcast reporting. When I&#39;m not working on the site, I&#39;m riding my bike along the Potomac, watching old movies and attending concerts. Mad Men and It&#39;s Always Sunny in Philadelphia are, by far, my favorite TV shows. My favorite Arlington hang-outs are Northside Social, the Artisphere, and Galaxy Hut.

<b>Your Beliefs</b><br><i>At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.</i><br><br><b>Politics </b><i><br>How would you describe your political beliefs? </i>

Non-doctrinaire.

&#34;I define liberal as a person who is not doctrinaire. That is a dictionary definition of liberal. That&#39;s opposed to &#39;liberal&#39; as part of the political spectrum....open to change, constantly, not committed to any particular creed or doctrine, or whatnot, and in that respect I think that news people should be liberal.&#34; - Walter Cronkite, 1995

<br><i>Are you registered with a certain party?</i> No.<br><br><b>Religion</b><br><i>How religious would you consider yourself?</i> Non-religious. Though my Quaker schooling in Philadelphia certainly rubbed off on me.

<b><br>Local Hot-Button Issues</b><br><i>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community</i>?

Development, infrastructure, and affordable housing. But I&#39;m still learning.

<br><i>Where do you stand on each of these issues?</i>

I think that Arlington&#39;s foresight in planning &#34;urban villages&#34; around Metro stops has been key to its success and &#34;smart growth.&#34; As one of the higher priced real estate markets in the country, Arlington should continue to offer affordable housing so that long-time residents aren&#39;t squeezed out and people from a wide array of backgrounds and economic statuses can afford to live here and contribute to the county&#39;s diversity.