Coraggio Consulting City of Fairfax School Board Swearing-In, Monday, January 13, 2025 Date: Monday, January 13, 2025 Place: City Hall, City of Fairfax, Virginia Length: 17m (video) Official meeting video (city, Granicus): https://fairfax.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=13&clip_id=4048 Agenda: https://fairfax.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=13&clip_id=4048 Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting. Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-13. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [00:00:04] Everybody got quiet at the right time. That was perfect. Well, good evening, everybody, and welcome to such an auspicious event. Such an exciting time when we have the swearing-in of school board members. I've said before, and I'll say it again, it's a part of America that makes this country great. [00:00:23] One of the foundations of why we all gather, why we're here, and the reflections, the memories, the experiences that we have either as students going through our educational system or as parents and adults looking out for those who we care for and love so dearly, our children, and especially for the residents and the students of the city of Fairfax. [00:00:47] First of all, I want to thank the parents for being here. I also want to thank the spouses and the partners and the friends and relatives for all of those that are going to be sworn in this evening. It is a big responsibility to be an elected official and working on behalf of the citizens and students of the city of Fairfax, one that is really a lot more time demanding than people recognize or realize. [00:01:16] And the burdens upon the families and those that love, those that provide what is the service, the service to our country and the service to our students, is certainly something that we can all be extremely proud of. But really, thank you for the support that you've given through the campaign process and the electoral process. [00:01:36] But thank you for the support that you're going to be giving throughout. I wanted to go ahead and recognize some folks that I saw walk in, and hopefully I'll be able to make sure I cover everybody. If I don't, please give me a shout-out. But first of all, I'd like to welcome, I noticed Janice Miller came in, former city council member and school board member, emeritus and historian of all things with the city, and also Dr. Mitch Sutterfield and Toby Sorensen, two former school board members. [00:02:04] We have Fairfax County Public Schools, school board members, Sandy Anderson, the Springfield District, Kyle McDaniel at large, and also I believe Robin Lady is here as well. Yes, thank you so much for being here this evening. We really appreciate you being here. We also have the Region 5 family. [00:02:21] In fact, we have everybody here from Region 5 with Becky Banning, the Assistant Superintendent, Gordon Stokes, and Chad Lehman. Thank you all for being here this evening. and taking time out of your busy schedules to be a part of this very important event. And also our city principals, the people who really get the job done in the city. [00:02:38] Thank you so much. Fairfax High School principal, Dr. Georgina A., Chris Smith at Katherine Johnson Middle School, and then both Susan Mullen and Andrew Pratt, both of our elementary schools. We really, the work that we do is to support you and what you do for our children. [00:02:56] So with that, I want to also recognize the city staff that are here. J.C. Martinez, the chief financial officer for the city, and Gwen Riddle, the director of budget, two individuals that I've grown to become very fond of and just incredible professionals who have been a huge partnership with the schools. [00:03:15] And we couldn't really operate, and we're going to be talking about a budget later this evening, but we couldn't operate without this new collaboration and the new partnerships that we must have as we move forward in the changes that we're experiencing. And Katie Herman, the FPAC, I'll just say chair of FPAC, but also somebody who's heavily involved and a huge partner with all of us. [00:03:38] And is there anybody else that I may have missed? Oh, Billy Bates. I didn't see you coming, Billy. Another city council member, Billy Bates here this evening. Thank you so much for joining us. So with that, I'd like to introduce the clerk of court, the Fairfax County Circuit Court, Chris Falcon. [00:03:54] He's here with us this evening to do the swearing in. And then after the swearing in, we're going to have Rick Harrington, a fellow Rotarian, also with the City of Fairfax Electoral Board, present the certificate. So I'll turn it over to you. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. Can you hear me okay? [00:04:12] To be clear, the clerk of the Fairfax County and Fairfax City, good to be with you all. One of the most important duties that we have in the clerk's office is the administration of oaths to our newly elected officials. I've had the pleasure of going around with the region over the last couple of days and doing this, including out in Herndon a couple of nights ago. [00:04:33] But it is so important. I just wanted to say a moment to give thanks to the individuals that are sitting behind me right now for agreeing to answer the call to service. It is so truly important, and I am very grateful to you all. Also, as the father of three school-age children, I am very grateful to you all, too. [00:04:51] Thank you. And without further ado, we're launching to the Oaks. So first up, if I can have Lauren Ann Barton. [00:05:09] Do solemnly swear or burn. [00:05:25] ...do solemnly swear or affirm... ...that I will support the Constitution of the United States of America... ...that I will support the Constitution of the United States of America... ...and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia... ...and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia... ...and that I will faithfully and impartially... [00:05:41] ...and that I will faithfully and impartially... ...discharge all the dues incumbent upon me... ...discharge all the dues incumbent upon me... ...as a member of the School Board for the City of Fairfax, Virginia... ...as a member of the School Board for the City of Fairfax... According to the best of my ability, so help me God. [00:05:58] According to the best of my ability. [00:06:24] Someday swear. [00:07:00] Someday swear. Faithfully and impartially. Allow me. Discharge all the duties incumbent upon me. [00:07:18] Discharge the. All the duties. All the duties. Cool board for the city of Fairfax, Virginia. And member of the school board of Fairfax. According to the best of my ability, so help me. [00:08:07] Cool board for the city of Fairfax, Virginia. [00:08:43] And member of the city of Fairfax. According to the best of my ability, so help me God. [00:08:48] According to the best of my ability. [00:09:36] Thank you very much, and if we could. [00:11:51] And then Mr. Rick Harrington with the City of Fairfax Electoral Board to present the frame certificates. If we could have the school board members come down to receive your frame certificate. And following that, we'll have some photographs. And I'd like to take a minute to recognize the mayor of the City of Fairfax, who is with us also this evening. [00:12:10] Mayor Reed. Yeah. [00:12:29] Everybody hear me all right? I'm Rick Harrington. I'm the secretary for the City of Fairfax Electoral Board. Is there anybody in the room that knows what the electoral board is for the city of Fairfax? [00:12:45] I do. Oh, and with me tonight is the chairman of the city of Fairfax electoral board. All right, the electoral board. We're not elected officials. Guess what? We are appointed by the chief judge of the 19th Circuit Court to make sure that the elections in the city of Fairfax are done accurately, ascertained. [00:13:10] They're done with purity and legality to make sure that the voter's choice is recorded properly. That's what your electoral board does. And now, part of that is when an election is done, it's unofficial until the electoral board certifies the election. [00:13:27] And we finally finished up on the 5th of December with all the paperwork. And so with that, I would like to now present the certificates of election to the school board members. This is a grip and grin, and we're going to start with Mr. Barthelen. [00:13:45] and we need a photograph there we go I'm holding on to this great congratulations and again this is a great congratulations so much and here we go [00:14:18] I thank everybody for coming this evening. [00:16:37] We're going to have an atrium, so we are going to adjourn to the atrium. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Coraggio Consulting ยท aguyonx.com