Saluting Two Reston Stalwarts

As we're drawing closer to this year's RCA Board of Directors election, I'm sad to report that a couple of our Board members have chosen not to run again: Dan McGuire and George Kain.  So this week, I'd like to tip my cap to our departing members, who are both longtime Restonians and who truly understand what it means to serve your community.

In some ways, it seems fitting that Dan and George would step off at the same time.  They are close friends and like-minded souls, and they would frequently sit next to each other at Board meetings, sharing jokes about their days in the service and thinking of ways to make Reston a better place.  I'll very much miss their advice and counsel on the Board.

George probably knew more about RCA's history than anybody else on the Board.  In fact, he had served as President of RCA back in the late '90s.  He took over the RCA at a challenging time, when there was a lot of transition on the Board and the organization seemed to be fraying.  George helped RCA rebuild, straightening out RCA's troubled and poorly-documented finances and refocusing the organization on its core missions.  On George's watch, RCA helped revive the Reston Festival, which was one of RCA's early contributions to the community.  George's record of community service also includes a stint as RA Treasurer.

During George's most recent stint on RCA, he served two years as RCA's Treasurer.  Perhaps his greatest contribution, though, has been as chairman of the Operations Committee.  In 2009, I proposed that we develop a committee to deal with the internal affairs and long-term planning for RCA.  When I left the Board in 2010, I turned the Ops Committee over to George, and he has kept it humming right along. 

Intenal operations is not the flashiest subject, but George took to it with gusto.  Under his leadership, the Ops Committee revised and ratified the that RCA adopted earleir this year.  He also masterminded the revision to RCA's Bylaws that we hope to ratify at our next meetings, a revision that brings our governance up to date for the 21st century.  RCA is a much stronger organization for his work.  I'll miss George's institutional memory and his analytical thinking on the Board. 

Like George, Dan has been a fixture in Reston's community leadership for a long time.  Some of you may recall his campaign for Reston's House of Delegates seat.  He is currently serving as RCA's Second Vice President, and he was a former RA Board member as well.  Dan has probably been involved with community service in Reston for as long as I've been around.

But even though he's been a leader in Reston for a long time, he remains as friendly and approachable as ever.  Dan is one of the most well-liked members of the Board, and with good reason.  Even when he disagrees with someone on the issues, Dan doesn't let that get in the way of a good friendship. 

Anyone who knows Dan knows that he's a proud graduate of the University of Maryland.  I'm a UVA grad, and we had a friendly rivalry whenever our schools faced each other on the field.  When college football season rolls around, I'm really going to miss Dan's pro-Terp jabs and jokes.

Dan has long believed that Reston should incorporate as a city.  He has spent countless hours over the years studying the possibilities and coming up with proposals.  Dan's dream has yet to come to fruition, but RCA is going to continue exploring the options and someday, I hope, devising a solution that will provide Reston with the local governance we deserve.

Dan was also a key backer of the campaign.  For years, Dan has distributed flyers in shopping centers, talked to reporters, met with elected officials and influential Restonians, and tried almost everything in his power to get the license plate on the road.  He even got a bill authorizing the plate into the Virginia General Assembly.  The license plate isn't on the road yet, but we're going to keep trying to make that happen too.

Dan McGuire and George Kain are two lions of Reston community leadership.  They may be focusing on their private lives for now, but neither of them has abandoned their commitment to Reston's well-being.  I know that both of them will continue to support RCA as we look toward our community's future.  As George said in his letter to the Board announcing his decision not to run: "I am confident that RCA will do extremely well in the months ahead and will really shine as a beacon of leadership on important issues in Reston."

So if you happen to see George or Dan on the street, take a moment to say thanks for their selfless service and devotion to the community.  I know I've been extremely grateful for their assistance in my first year in charge of RCA.  Great work, gentlemen.  I thank you both.