[Archived] Fairchild Appointed Business Facilitator For the City of Alexandria

City Press Release


	City of Alexandria, Virginia Office of the City Manager Alexandria City Hall 301 King Street, Suite 3500 Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3211 www.alexandriava.gov Telephone: 703.838.4300 Fax : 703.838.6343

January 23, 2004
PIO 013-04
For Immediate Release

Fairchild Appointed Business Facilitator
For the City of Alexandria

Alexandria City Manager Phil Sunderland announced today the appointment of Tom Fairchild to the new position of Business Facilitator, heading the new Office of Business Assistance. He began work this week. Fairchild served as the Executive Director of the Clarendon Alliance, a private-public partnership in Arlington, from 1997 to 2002 and more recently was a commercial real estate agent with Buck & Associates.
At the Clarendon Alliance, Fairchild successfully developed programs to help small businesses thrive in a competitive environment and overcome negative issues arising from new development, conceiving and implementing community marketing, and assisting businesses’ interaction with the Arlington County government. In 2003, he was honored by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and Arlington Economic Development Commission with their “Friend to Small Business” award.
In his new position, Fairchild will serve as the City’s liaison with small and medium size businesses, assisting them in their regulatory and tax interactions with the City government. Duties will include helping these businesses understand and navigate the City’s regulatory, special use permit, building code and business tax processes. Working closely with business organizations throughout the City and City departments, he will work to improve the City’s interactions with the small business community.
In announcing his appointment, Sunderland said, “We are fortunate to have Tom Fairchild undertake this important new City function. His wide range of experience and his success in Clarendon make him a perfect fit for this position.”
Fairchild received his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University in 1983. He worked for Newport News Shipbuilding Company and Litton / PRC prior to his work in Clarendon. In 1992 he taught engineering as a visiting instructor at the Prague School of Economics in what was then Czechoslovakia. Fairchild is a native of Northern Virginia and a graduate of Fort Hunt High School in Fairfax County.
Fairchild said “I am excited at the prospect of working with Alexandria’s vibrant business community and assisting their interactions with the City government. I understand businesses’ desire to efficiently navigate government agencies in order to accomplish their objectives. I also realize the important role municipal government plays to ensure the safety and quality of life for City residents and visitors alike. With Alexandria’s long tradition of good government, I believe the Office of Business Assistance can play an effective role in facilitating good business - government interactions.”