John Farrell Running In 2026 RA Board Of Directors Election

RESTON, VA — Seven candidates are running in the month-long Reston Association Board of Directors election.

All RA members who are in good standing are eligible to cast ballots starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27 and ending at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31. The 2026-2027 Board of Directors will be announced at the Annual Members' Meeting on Tuesday, April 14.

A 10 percent quorum is required for the results of the election to be official.

Paper ballots will be mailed to eligible RA members, who may also choose to vote electronically. Questions about the RA election may be sent to electionscommittee@reston.org. Request your electronic ballot by emailing: eballot.request@reston.org.

At-Large Director (3-year term):

• John Farrell
• Greg McCandless
• Daton Lynch

Lake Anne/Tall Oaks District Director (2-year term)

• Georgina Cannan
• Nathen Phillips
• Ramon Pardo

Apartment Owners' Representative (3-year term)

• Margaret Perry

In order to help voters learn more about the candidates and their positions, Patch invited each candidate to fill out a questionnaire. The following are John Farrell's responses.

Name

John Farrell

Please specify which seat on the Reston Association Board you are running for:

At-Large

Education

Boston College BA; New England School of Law JD

Occupation

Attorney

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I currently serve as an At Large member of the Reston Association Board of Directors

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

My extensive experience enables me to commit to delivering the services that Restonians have sought in RA's recent survey: extension of pool season and hours; protecting the golf courses and other open spaces for future decades. I'm also committed to opposing the casino - I believe that opposition is a reflection of Restonians's community values and, so far, we have had great success. My relationships and institutional knowledge enables me to continue this work successfully. I'm focused on the future and implementing the feedback we have received from the membership in that survey, so that we are guided ultimately by what RA members want.

What issues define your campaign platform?

Maintaining and enhancing our quality of life and advocacy for our community values are the top two issues defining my campaign. My work on the Board is really about managing our facilities and being responsive to the membership. And I look at larger issues like the casino. It's important that I use the platform of the At Large Director to advocate for our values. Reston is a fantastic place to live, work and play and to raise a family and I want to protect everything we've worked so hard for - for decades to come

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

During my first term on the Board, we have:
• Surveyed RA’s membership to know their desires for recreational facilities
• Completed site assessments of every RA facility to learn how to responsibly extend their useful life and properly budget for their preservation
• Led opposition to a Reston casino
• Eliminated fees for member pool passes, extended the pool season/hours
• Reopened Lake Thoreau and Shadowood pools
• Added Winterfest, an annual holiday community gathering
• Made the Hook Road and Running Cedar Little League fields safer
• Added heating to Lake Audobon pool
• Advocated for all Metro station housing to join Reston Association. If the 3,000 new Metro Station units joined RA, your annual assessment would drop by $120+. We should not be subsidizing those developers.

That’s a lot, but we can do even better for our quality of life!

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success?

Over the next three years, with your help, I will pursue:
• Opposition to a Reston Casino
• Sound fiscal and capital management that extends the life of RA facilities while keeping assessments reasonable
• Strong professional and cooperative management that puts membership customer service as RA’s highest priority
• Environmental policies that protect our 1,350 acres of open space and 55 miles of trails
• Extension of pool season/expansion of pools hours to enable all RA members to enjoy these essential amenities
• Zoning positions to enhance our community that are shaped by member input
• Persuade new residential development to join us to spread the cost of RA’s facilities and programs over all of the homes that enjoy them
• Simplification of the design review and covenant processes to preserve property values while easing covenant compliance

What is your vision for the Reston community?

I hope to fully implement the 7 goals of Bob Simon to create a open, inclusive community where people of all ages and backgrounds can live, work and play in harmony with our environment while making sure that we keep costs affordable. I raised 4 kids in Reston so I'm always thinking about the young families that will follow us here; as well as my fellow senior citizens. We need to expand community events like Winterfest and places like the Central Green in Reston Town Center North which are, and will be, great opportunities for building community cohesion.

The best advice shared with me was:

Do your job! If you care more about getting the task accomplished and less about the title or who gets credit, you'll be amaze at how much can be achieved.

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

I'm an avid birder. That takes me out on our 55 miles of trails with my binoculars. Thus, my passion for maintaining our 1,350 acres of open space as habitat for local flora and fauna.

Maintaining the useful life of our facilities without significant assessment increase is a critical accomplishment for me - we've made significant investments in these facilities without creating undue financial burdens for our members. Affordability is an issue, especially for young families moving here. I want to make sure we are getting the best our of our pools and trails making wise plans for the future while also keeping the costs as stable as possible for everyone