Meet the Honorable Guests of OAR’s 2021 Breakfast
Beth Arthur, Sheriff, Arlington County Sheriff’s Department
Sheriff Arthur was not only the first female Sheriff in Arlington County, but also the first female County Sheriff in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She is currently one of approximately 40 female Sheriffs in the United States. Sheriff Arthur is responsible for the operation of the Detention Facility, security of the courthouse, transportation of inmates, service of all court-issued process and criminal warrants, the Alcohol Safety Action Program, administrator of estates, and providing administrative support to all areas of the Office.
Kate Bates, President/CEO, Arlington Chamber of Commerce
Kate Bates joined the Arlington Chamber of Commerce staff in 2007 and was appointed as President and CEO in 2014, following an extensive national search. Over the last five years, Bates has significantly grown the membership to a current level of more than 760 members and increased the Chamber’s business advocacy efforts.
Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, Vice Mayor, City of Alexandria
Elected to the Alexandria City Council in November 2018, Elizabeth is the youngest woman elected to Council in Alexandria’s history. She is also the founder of Fruitcycle, a social enterprise that produced healthy snacks from locally sourced produce that would otherwise go to waste. Prior to her election, she was appointed by Council to serve on the Community Criminal Justice Board and the Commission on Employment.
Harold W. Clarke, Director, Virginia Department of Corrections
Harold W. Clarke has more than 40 years of award-winning experience in the corrections field. He started his career at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, and then served at the Washington State Department of Corrections and Massachusetts Department of Corrections. In 2010, he was appointed director of the Virginia Department of Corrections. He previously served as president of the American Correctional Association and Association of State Correctional Administrators. His leadership emphasizes improving re-entry and reducing recidivism.
Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Commonwealth’s Attorney, Arlington County and the City of Falls Church
Parisa Dehghani-Tafti has a 20-year record of working to reform the criminal justice system as a public defender, an innocence protection attorney, and a law professor. She will pursue justice for all, serve the community equitably, and build a criminal justice system that promotes safety, fairness, transparency, and accountability. Additionally, Parisa is one of the newest members of OAR’s Board of Directors and participated in one of OAR’s BIPOC Liberation Cohort sessions.
Barbara Favola, VA Senator, 31st District
Barbara is a strong advocate on issues important to children, families, wage-earners, and the environment. She has spent her career championing the progressive values we share. She serves on and has chaired the Commission on Youth and the Advisory Committee on Sexual and Domestic Violence, as well as serving on the Joint Commission on Health Care.
Matt de Ferranti, Arlington County Board Chair
Matt has over 20 years of experience working to help people build better lives for themselves and their children. He has used his skills as a lawyer in positions at Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together, focusing on improving opportunities for low-income homeownership.
Jay Fisette, Former Chair of the Arlington County Board
An American politician in Arlington County, Virginia, Jay Fisette is the Former Chair of the Arlington County Board. He became the state’s first openly gay elected official when he was elected to the board in 1997. Fisette won four reelections since then and served as the County Board Chair in 2001, 2005, 2010 and 2014. Jay played a major role in transforming Arlington into the nationally recognized sustainable community it is today.
Lori Faye Fischler, Founder and President at Otilo, Inc.
Lori Faye Fischler is a business strategy and development consultant who specializes in assisting companies in respect of U.S. Federal Government opportunities. She helps companies identify new opportunities, develop and execute call plans, form teams to address opportunities, and prepare responses to such opportunities.
Patrick A. Hope, VA Delegate, 47th District
Patrick A. Hope is a Member of the Virginia General Assembly as the Delegate from the 47th District of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was re-elected for his sixth term in 2019. Delegate Hope currently serves as Chair of the House Public and Safety Committee and also sits on the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee as well as the House Courts of Justice Committee.
Larysa M. Kautz, President & CEO, Melwood
Larysa focused her career on affordable housing development, venture philanthropy, and advising national and international nonprofits. Very passionate about Melwood’s mission of inclusion and has been a fierce advocate for individuals with disabilities throughout her life.
David Robinson, Chief of Corrections Operations, VA Department of Corrections
David Robinson leads the operations of the VADOC’s facilities and parole and probation offices throughout the state. He has served more than 30 years with the Virginia Department of Corrections, working his way up from line-level staff to warden. In 2006, he was promoted to eastern regional director for operations, and in 2011 was appointed chief of corrections operations.
Allison Silberberg, Former Mayor, City of Alexandria
Allison Silberberg, who served as the Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia, is a writer, public speaker, and lifelong advocate for social justice issues. She has worked to promote civic engagement and address unmet social needs. She served as Mayor from January 1, 2016 – December 31, 2018. During her term as Mayor, Allison also prioritized ethics, transparency, and inclusiveness.
George Varoutsos, Chief Judge, Arlington Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
An Arlington native, the Honorable George D. Varoutsos is in the home stretch of his fourth term presiding over Arlington County’s 17th District Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. In 2019 he was honored with the 2019 William L. Winston Award by the Arlington County Bar Foundation and was saluted for his longstanding public service, the promotion of democratic ideals and the advancement of the rule of law.
Nancy Vincent, Director of Department of Human Services City of Falls Church
Nancy currently serves as the Director of Human Services for the City of Falls Church. She oversees Housing and Human Services, the Aurora House girls’ home, and Juvenile Domestic Court Services. Some of her accomplishments with the City include a 2012 Virginia Municipal League Achievement Award.
Justin Wilson, Mayor, City of Alexandria
With a commitment to ensuring every child’s opportunity at success, protecting Alexandria’s long-term fiscal health and investing in the infrastructure that improves our quality of life, Justin Wilson was elected Mayor of the City of Alexandria in November of 2018. An experienced community leader, Justin previously served 8 years on the City Council prior to his election as Mayor, including service from 2016 – 2019 as Alexandria’s Vice Mayor. Justin’s leadership has led to new investments in schools, transportation and environmental infrastructure.
Thank you for joining us!
*This page was last updated on Monday, April 19, 2021. We appreciate your patience if we missed your RSVP or your information on this page. Please let us know and will update this page ASAP. You can email sku@oaronline.org. Thank you for joining us.*