Leadership Fairfax, originally a project of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, is a left-of-center professional development organization based in Fairfax, Virginia.

Background

Leadership Fairfax was founded in 1987 by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce (now known as the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce) and was later registered as an independent 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization in April 1994. The organization’s headquarters are in Vienna, Virginia. ^{1 2}

According to Leadership Fairfax’s website, there are over 2,000 alumni of the organization’s institutes and programs who have collectively logged over 340,000 volunteer community service hours with nonprofit organizations based in Fairfax County as well as Fairfax County advisory boards and commissions. ³

Programs

Leadership Fairfax manages three professional development programs: The Leadership Fairfax Institute, a 9-month program for “established” professionals involved in business, nonprofits, and government; the Emerging Leaders Institute, a  10-month program like the former, but which only meets once-a-month and which caters to less established, “emerging” professionals; and the Lifetime Leaders Program, program for “retiring or newly retired” individuals, which connects them with mentorship and engagement opportunities in Fairfax. ^{4 5 6}

Additionally, Leadership Fairfax partners with local organizations in Fairfax to host “educational leadership events” and community forums, such as the annual Northern Virginia Leadership Awards. ⁷

Democratic Party Connections

Though Leadership Fairfax is officially a non-partisan organization, it has close ties to local Democrats in Fairfax. For instance, two of its staff members, Andy Sigle and Andrew Sigle, have donated $800 each to the Fairfax County Democratic Committee during the 2020 election cycle. ⁸ Additionally, the website of the Fairfax Young Democrats cites Leadership Fairfax as a “progressive space” for individuals seeking professional development opportunities, alongside openly liberal organizations such as Emerge Virginia and the Virginia Progressive Leadership Project. ⁹

Partner Organizations

Annual Partner organizations of Leadership Fairfax include the Navy Federal Credit Union; the Reston Community Center; Stepping Stone Consulting; Peterson Companies; Allegra (Fairfax); TD Bank; Veatch Commercial Real Estate; Walsh, Colluci, Lubeley, and Walsh; and Trainings Solutions Inc. ¹⁰

People

Karen Cleveland is the president and CEO of Leadership Fairfax. Previously, Cleveland was the principle of Cleveland Group, LLC, and Cleveland Coaching Group, professional consulting and coaching firms based in Reston, Virginia. Additionally, Cleveland is the former president and CEO of the northern Virginia chapter of Habitat for Humanity. ¹¹

Cynthia Bailey is the chair of Leadership Fairfax’s board of directors, as well as the deputy county attorney in the Fairfax County Attorney’s Office. ¹²

1. “Who We Are.” Leadership Fairfax. Accessed January 9, 2023. https://www.leadershipfairfax.org/AboutLFI
2. “Leadership Fairfax Incorporated.” ProPublica. Accessed January 9, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/541685151
3. “Who We Are.” Leadership Fairfax. Accessed January 9, 2023. https://www.leadershipfairfax.org/AboutLFI
4. “Lifetime Leaders Program.” Leadership Fairfax. Accessed January 9, 2023. https://www.leadershipfairfax.org/LLP
5. “Emerging Leaders Institute.” Leadership Fairfax. Accessed January 9, 2023. https://www.leadershipfairfax.org/ELI
6. “Leadership Fairfax Institute.” Leadership Fairfax. Accessed January 9, 2023. https://www.leadershipfairfax.org/LFI
7. “Who We Are.” Leadership Fairfax. Accessed January 9, 2023. https://www.leadershipfairfax.org/AboutLFI
8. “FAIRFAX COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE, Political Action Committee: Campaign Contribution Details 2020 Election Cycle.” Campaign Money. 2020. Accessed January 9, 2023. https://www.campaignmoney.com/political/committees/fairfax-county-democratic-committee.asp?cycle=20
9. “Resources.” Fairfax Young Democrats. Accessed January 9, 2023. https://fairfaxyoungdems.org/resources/
10. “Who We Are: Our Annual Partners.” Leadership Fairfax. Accessed January 9, 2023. https://www.leadershipfairfax.org/AboutLFI
11. “Leadership Fairfax: Welcome.” Leadership Fairfax. Accessed January 9, 2023. https://www.leadershipfairfax.org/resources/Documents/LFI-ELI%20Recruiting%20Presentation%202019.pdf
12. “Leadership and Staff: Cynthia Bailey.” Leadership Fairfax. Accessed January 9, 2023. https://www.leadershipfairfax.org/Leadership-and-Staff