2022 Candidate Profile: Sean Regan Running For Herndon Mayor

HERNDON, VA — Sean Regan was elected to the Herndon Town Council in 2020, after serving eight years on the Herndon Planning Commission. He's now on the ballot in the Nov. 8 general election to be Herndon's next mayor.

Regan is running against incumbent Mayor Sheila Olem and fellow Councilmember Jasbinder Singh.

Patch asked each of the candidates in the Herndon mayoral race to fill out the following questionnaire.

Name

Sean Regan

Campaign Website

www.reganforherndon.com

Names, ages and any pertinent detail you wish to share.

Wife, Anne Regan, and two adult children

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for.

Anne is a teacher at FCPS.

Education

B.A., Dartmouth College. M. ED. Colorado State University

Occupation - Please include years of experience

real-estate developer, managing construction projects for museums and other non-profits for 24 years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Herndon Town Council 2020-2021. Herndon Planning Commission 2012 -2020

Why are you seeking elective office?

After eight years on Planning Commission and nearly two years on Council, I'm ready to provide the leadership Herndon deserves from its Mayor.

The single most pressing issue facing the Town of Herndon is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most pressing issue facing the Town of Herndon is a lack of leadership. We won't be able to solve other problems until this void is filled.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am one of two challengers running for Mayor, and we are both on Town Council so it's easy to see the difference between us. The other challenger has difficulty staying on-topic, talking at great length with little impact. He criticizes and insults staff and Town commission members from the dais instead of taking personnel issues to HR. This practice wastes hours of Council, staff and citizen's time. I encourage voters to watch Town Council hearings to see for themselves, all are available at https://www.herndon-va.gov/online-services/agendas-minutes-webcasts.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

The differences are best seen through the Strategic Initiatives process which was created, without the Mayor's support, to explore ways to improve the Town for the people who live here. The current Mayor has not proposed any initiatives and has rarely contributed to the conversation or engaged with Council Members on the ideas they propose. I have proposed five thoughtful Initiatives concerning cut-through traffic, parking reform, citizen communication management, modernizing staff presentations, and Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas (DORAs). I engage in civil debate with my colleagues and hope my contributions make their ideas better. Their contributions certainly make mine better.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My campaign priorities are:

• reducing cut-through commuter traffic which clogs our roads
• leading our efforts to complete the downtown development
• using creative zoning changes and the other tools available to us as a Town to create more workforce and affordable housing in Herndon.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

First, my time on the Planning Commission and my career managing complex real-estate projects have helped me appreciate the value of embracing diverse viewpoints, collaborating, and negotiating on-the-fly to reach the best possible outcome. Second, my career has taught me several lesson that shape my perspective:

• building the education center and presidential library at Mount Vernon Estate taught me the value of historic preservation and blending the old with the new
• building free, public, college-prep boarding schools for at-risk students for the SEED Foundation taught me to speak up for disadvantaged children who don't have a fair chance in our society
• negotiating a half-dozen Public-Private Ventures has taught me about the risks of PPVs like our downtown development and has given me insight into handling the current lack of progress we're experiencing there

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Good leaders bring out the best in the people around them.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

If the role of the Mayor is to maintain the status quo and approve a budget, the current leadership is fine. But if citizens want a Mayor that will listen to their voices, seek out their advice and advocate for their priorities to move the Town forward, I am the best candidate for the job.

Related:

• 2022 Candidate Profile: Jasbinder Singh Running For Herndon Mayor
• Democrats Warn Herndon Voters Of 'Misleading' Sample Election Ballot
• General Election 2022: Key Dates To Know In Herndon
• 2022 Candidate Profile: Herndon Mayor Sheila Olem Seeks Reelection