INFORMATION ABOUT SPEAKERS

Mary Hughes Hynes
Vice-Chair
Arlington County Board (Arlington County, Virginia)

An Arlington County resident for more than 30 years, Ms. Hynes was elected to the Arlington County Board in November 2007. Previously, Ms. Hynes served on the Arlington School Board from 1995 to 2006, chairing it on three occasions.

During her many years on the Arlington School Board, Ms. Hynes was known for providing strong, insightful leadership on the management of public capital projects. She continues to provide that leadership on the Arlington County Board. Ms. Hynes’ leadership was instrumental in the creation of facility and park condition assessments and project prioritization criteria. These criteria will guide future County infrastructure investment strategies. In addition, Ms. Hynes’ advocacy led to the establishment of a citizen-led Capital Improvement Program advisory group in 2011.

A cornerstone of Ms. Hynes’ work as a member of the County Board is ensuring that Arlington County excels in responding to emergencies. In addition to protecting and providing for Arlington citizens, Arlington County is home to and has a special responsibility for meeting the emergency needs of several government facilities, including Reagan National Airport and the Pentagon.

Ms. Hynes is an ardent supporter of sensible, responsible community planning. She spearheaded the initiative to require pre-planning for all General Land Use Plan changes and was instrumental in updating the County’s neighborhood traffic calming policies. In addition, she serves as the liaison to the Crystal City Citizens’ Review Council, a group established by the Board to monitor progress on the 2009 Crystal City Sector Plan.

Ms. Hynes represents Arlington County on the Board of the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and participates in the Metropolitan Development Policy Committee of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and was appointed by the COG Board as its Aviation Policy Liaison. She was recently honored as the 2011 Environmental Steward in recognition of her service to her community by the National Organization to Insure a Sound-Controlled Environment (N.O.I.S.E.). She is also actively involved in the Virginia Municipal League, serving as the Chair of the Urban Section and a member of the Executive Committee, and represents Arlington on the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.