McLean Citizens Association (MCA) president Robert Jackson will be moving out of state soon, and the organization on March 17 held a special meeting to thank him for his efforts.
Board members unanimously approved a resolution commending Jackson for 16 years of service to MCA and residents of the surrounding community and Fairfax County.
Jackson served as MCA president from 2007 to 2012 and from 2020 to 2022 – more than twice as many years as any other president since MCA was first established in 1914, the resolution read.
Between stints as president, he served as vice chairman of MCA’s Planning and Zoning Committee from 2017 to 2019 and chaired the committee from 2019 to 2020.
Even though his second period as president occurred during the pandemic, Jackson led MCA’s efforts to provide community input on proposed revisions to Fairfax County’s strategic plan, comprehensive-plan amendments for the McLean Community Business Center, the 495 Northern Extension (495 NEXT) Project and county zoning-ordinance revisions, according to MCA’s resolution.
The resolution also cited his leading role in seeking modifications to the Tysons Comprehensive Plan, which the Board of Supervisors adopted in 2010. Jackson worked to ensure that the needs and concerns of residents in surrounding communities were taken into account as county officials sought to guide redevelopment of the burgeoning urban center.
For this work, Supervisor John Fount (D-Dranesville) in 2012 honored Jackson as Lord Fairfax for Dranesville District.
According to Foust’s citation for that award, “Mr. Jackson has been active on a number of other issues, including battling the City of Falls Church’s water rate hikes; improving communication with [the Virginia Department of Transportation and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority] and their contractors for the [High-Occupancy Toll] Lanes and Dulles Rail Projects; working with county staff, planning commissioners, school board members, supervisors, state legislators, and members of Congress on numerous projects; and presenting the MCA’s views to local and national media.”
Jackson also spearheaded efforts to adopt an alternative formula for allocating costs of transportation improvements, saving county taxpayers about $400 million, MCA’s resolution read.
Jackson also been active in many transportation projects and groups, including chairing the Citizens Advisory Committee to the regional Transportation Planning Board, helping to create the Greater Tysons Citizens Coalition and serving as a Tysons Partnership board member from 2011 to 2013.
An attorney, Jackson has lived in McLean since 1987 and first joined the MCA board in 2006, serving as first vice president and chairman of the Budget and Taxation Committee during that initial year.
Jackson and his wife will be moving to Wake Forest, N.C., to be closer to their two children, who reside in that state. He will continue to practice law remotely.
The MCA board at the meeting elected Scott Spitzer, who had been serving as the group’s first vice president, to be Jackson’s successor as president.
“Rob Jackson’s deep knowledge of community issues, his wisdom and guidance, and his repeatedly answering the call to serve MCA and our community will be missed by all of us,” Spitzer said. “We thank him for his exceptional public service.”