RESTON, VA — When BeBe Nguyen arrived in the United States in the early 1980s as part of the exodus following the Vietnam War, her family initially settled in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her father later found work, and they moved to Falls Church.
Raised by a single parent, Nguyen's family moved frequently as her father struggled with housing. She attended Fairfax County Public Schools, including what is now Justice High School, and grew up largely in the Bailey's Crossroads and Lincolnia areas.
More than four decades later, Nguyen is leading Reston Community Center, an organization she joined in 2007 and one she says reflects the values that drew her to public service: community, inclusion and the opportunity to make a difference in people's lives.
Nguyen studied international relations at Georgetown University with the initial ambition of becoming a foreign service officer or working in a consulate. After graduating, she worked for ExxonMobil, where her responsibilities included public affairs, community relations, crisis management and monitoring policies affecting the company.
Her work took her to Singapore and across the United States. She helped train employees during the merger of Exxon and Mobil, when the company was particularly focused on maintaining safety during a period of organizational change.
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Nguyen said the corporate experience taught her how businesses interact with communities and government. But a mentor encouraged her to consider whether she wanted to remain in the corporate world or explore something different.
"I think my heart was always in the public sector," Nguyen said. "Being in the private sector and in corporate, I learned a lot. But I think my heart was where I wanted to be able to contribute and make an impact in a community."
That search brought Nguyen to RCC, where she began as communications director, later became deputy director and took over the organization's leadership in January 2025. She will mark 20 years at the community center in 2027.
Nguyen credits her predecessors and RCC's board with preparing the organization for the leadership transition. Her immediate predecessor — Leila Gordon — had spent 41 years at RCC, providing a depth of institutional knowledge that Nguyen said she continues to rely upon when unexpected challenges arise.
RCC serves Reston residents and employees through classes, camps, performances, aquatic programs and community events. Nguyen estimated the center records about 250,000 annual "touch points," although that figure does not represent 250,000 individual people because many participate in multiple activities.
The organization operates its flagship 50,000-square-foot facility and a second location at Lake Anne. It also takes programs into neighborhoods and commercial centers through partnerships with Reston Association, Cornerstones, property owners and other community organizations.
Nguyen said those collaborations are part of Reston's character.
"We see partnership and collaborations as just part of the Reston DNA," she said. "Wherever we are able to amplify and ensure that there's an alignment with another partner's mission, we try to make sure that we complement and support them the best we can."
Nguyen sees a community that is becoming younger, more diverse and increasingly engaged. Camp participation has grown by about 40 percent, she said. RCC extended camp hours at both ends of the day to better serve working parents.
The center's challenge is to understand what newer residents want while maintaining the mission envisioned by the Restonians who created RCC in 1979.
The organization is funded primarily through Small Tax District 5, which assesses residential and commercial properties within its boundaries at 4.7 cents per $100 of assessed value. Nguyen said that generates roughly $10 million in annual revenue, separate from money collected through registrations, ticket sales and pool admissions.
Unlike Reston Association, RCC serves commercial properties and areas of Reston that are not part of the association, including Reston Town Center.
Nguyen wants businesses to recognize that RCC is also a resource for their employees, who can receive the same subsidized access to programs as residents because commercial properties contribute to the tax district.
Her larger goal is to preserve the community center's history without allowing it to become frozen in time.
"The part that I'm most excited about is how do I continue to carry the legacy of what this institution was founded upon, but build it and anticipate what the future community center will need and look like," Nguyen said.
RCC has traditionally served children and older adults, two groups with significant recreational and social needs. Nguyen said the organization is also looking for ways to reach working-age adults who have less time for recreation but are increasingly searching for balance and personal connections.
The COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation and concerns about mental health have changed what people seek from community spaces, Nguyen said. While technology and artificial intelligence are becoming more embedded in daily life, she sees a growing desire among residents to unplug.
RCC's Wednesday board game night is one example. What began several years ago now fills the community room and sometimes spills into nearby conference rooms.
"It's so refreshing to see that there is a very intentional, deliberate focus on unplugging and not being on devices," Nguyen said.
Nguyen is also directing staff to develop more programming for neurodivergent children and adults. Future capital projects could incorporate a sensory space that would serve people with autism, anxiety or other needs.
The issue is personal for Nguyen. Her older son was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in the late 1990s, when support and resources were much harder for families to find. She remembers taking out a home equity loan to obtain services for him.
Nguyen said a good special education teacher can transform a child's life. She remains grateful to one of her son's teachers and understands why parents must often become forceful advocates for their children.
Her experience reinforces her belief that a public community center must welcome everyone.
"We have the word 'community' in our name," Nguyen said. "We have to serve everybody."
That commitment has sometimes required RCC to balance inclusion with safety. Nguyen said the center saw a significant increase in unhoused patrons after encampments near the North County Governmental Center and Lake Anne were shut down.
RCC worked with county agencies, public safety officials and human-services organizations while establishing and enforcing rules of conduct for everyone using the facility.
"We don't discriminate against anybody," Nguyen said. "We serve the entire community, but there is a set of expectations that come with that."
As Reston grows around its Metro stations and attracts new residents, businesses and industries, Nguyen believes RCC must continue responding to the community rather than relying on programs that worked in the past.
She also believes Reston remains uniquely suited to that task. Its combination of natural areas, urban centers, technology companies and residents from different economic and cultural backgrounds creates an energy she has not found elsewhere.
"When I came here nearly 20 years ago, I just found the place that I belong," Nguyen said. "I can really bring my whole self to my job and everything I do in the community. So I never left."
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