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About Catherine
Mayor Catherine Read has lived in Fairfax City for over 24 years in the Daniels Run Woods, Providence Square, and Fairchester Woods neighborhoods. Her three children graduated from Fairfax High School, and she graduated from George Mason University with a B.A. in Government & Politics (’84). Catherine and her husband, Tom Greeson, are active in local and state politics and enjoy living in the Fairfax City community with their dog Reggie.
In November 2022, she was elected Mayor of the City of Fairfax. She was sworn in on January 1, 2023, becoming the first female mayor in the city's history. As Mayor, she represents our city on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. She also serves on the George Mason University's Schar School Alumni Chapter board and the Virginia Poverty Law Center's Advisory Board.
Prior to becoming mayor, Catherine worked with numerous nonprofits on legislative advocacy at the state, local, and federal levels. She previously served on the boards of directors of Britepaths, Equality Virginia, NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia PAC, and GrandInvolve. She has been a proud Rotarian since 2008.
Awards include Virginia's 11th CD Democratic Committee's Frederick W. Silverthorne Award (2018); The Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children (vaaeyc) Media Award (2019); The Chris Atwood Foundation Superhero Award (2024); Pathway Homes Spirit of Hope Award (2024); The Center for Nonprofit Advancement's Phyllis Campbell Newsome Award (2024)
Partnerships, not Partisanship.
The only candidate endorsed by Fairfax City's state and federal partners:
Congressman
Gerry Connolly
Senator
Saddam Salim
Delegate
David Bulova
Mayor Read's First Term
Fairfax Forward
Mayor Read's vision for a second term.
Attainable Housing and Smart Development
In our growing region and city, we must prioritize making housing attainable for all. Too many of our teachers, firefighters, police, and other essential workers can no longer afford to live in the community that they serve.
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Make Housing Affordable for All: Advocate for policies that increase the availability of housing, such as ADUs, so we meet our goals and make housing more affordable. Keep requirements for developers to include affordable options in certain new projects, and add dedicated city funding for affordable housing.
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Smart Growth: Promote smart growth principles that focus on sustainable, mixed-use development to reduce urban sprawl, enhance walkability, and preserve green spaces.