A mix of familiar faces and new names will serve in Arlington County Civic Federation leadership for 2026-27.
Federation delegates on June 9 reelected Nicholas Giacobbe (Aurora Highlands) for a second one-year term as president, and also re-elected Jean Henceroth (Leeway Overlee) as vice president.
Two other officer positions feature newcomers, with Dixie Duncan (Glencarlyn) elected secretary and Michael Bruce (Waycroft-Woodlawn) treasurer. It will be the first Civic Federation leadership post for each.
Newcomers to the board of directors will include Alison Babb (Arlington Parents for Education), Natalie Roy (Lyon Park) and Francine Friedman (Lyon Village), bringing to five the number of new arrivals on the 13-member board of directors.
“We’re sorry to lose the five who left, but we’re thrilled to attract the interest of the five who are going to join us,” said John Ford, a former Civic Federation president who headed the nominating committee.
Six board members were re-elected to new one-year terms. In addition to Ford (Tara-Leeway Heights), they include David Schutz (Ashton Heights), David Smith (Bluemont), Allan Gajadhar (Cherrydale), Jacqueline Snelling (Lyon Village) and Michael McMenamin (Maywood).
Like Ford, Gajadhar and McMenamin previously served as federation president. Smith and Snelling have chaired of the board of directors, a position Smith will again occupy for 2026-27.
While all positions were uncontested, Snelling cautioned against holding a single bulk vote for all offices.
“It is absolutely not a slate. It is individual people who are running for individual slots,” she said.
Federation delegates cast paper ballots at the June 9 meeting at VHC Health, while delegates attending virtually used an online voting system.
Final results will be released when certified, but all candidates won a majority, Giacobbe confirmed to ARLnow.
Earlier this year, Giacobbe was awarded the ARLnow Cup for community leadership. The honor has been bestowed by the Civic Federation annually since the 1930s, sponsored in succession by a host of media organizations: the Evening Star, Journal Newspapers, Sun Gazette, GazetteLeader and now ARLnow.
Founded in 1916 by six neighborhood associations, the Civic Federation has grown to now include 90 member organizations, both neighborhood based and community-wide.
Federation meetings typically run from September — when the organization hosts candidate forums — through June. Each member organization chooses delegates and alternates; membership is not available directly to individuals.
Over coming months, the organization’s legislative-affairs committee, led by Dave Schutz, will be soliciting input as it begins putting together a 2027 General Assembly legislative package.
