Dana Kauffman has his finger on the pulse of the Springfield area. As the Lee District representative on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the former chairman of the Metro Board, Kauffman has been involved with many of the big issues affecting the Springfield area. From the ongoing Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) debate at Fort Belvoir and the recently completed Mixing Bowl project to the revitalization of Central Springfield, Kauffman has been Springfield’s man-on-the-spot.
When Kauffman retires from the Board of Supervisors in December 2007, he’ll leave of legacy of pragmatic leadership. Here, he shares some information about himself and his views about what’s good and what could be better in the Springfield area.
Number of years in the community: I’ve worked in and for Springfield, both in the public and private sector, for over a quarter century
Family: Our immediate family consists of my wife Kathy, a software developer for EMC; my son Ethan, a rising sixth grader who has my attitude paired with his mom’s math skills; and three gold fish.
Education: M.P.A. and B.S. in public administration from George Mason University
Your first job: First full-time job was a garbage man
Current job/primary occupation: Lee District member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Activities/interests/hobbies: I read when I can. Usually have two books going at once; one to listen to while driving and one to read late at night or on the train to Metro meetings. I enjoy going to my son’s baseball games whenever possible. Someday I hope to start on a wooden ship model my wife and son gave me for my 50th birthday and Christmas.
Favorite local restaurant or place in the community?
Mr. Hunan Chinese Restaurant in the Manchester Lakes Shopping Center. Good cheap food.
What are your community concerns? What are some ideas you have on ways to improve your community?
My major concern for our community has been the need for serious enforcement of our zoning, health and safety codes and ordinances. With the support of Chairman Connolly and the Board, we are beginning to see a change in attitude and real improvements in enforcement.
What is the last book you read? The last movie you saw? Just finished reading William Machester’s “Goodbye Darkness” and listening to Carson McCuller’s “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.” Currently reading “Rocket Boys” and listening to Mel Levine’s “A Mind at a Time.”
What brought you here? My father was a career marine and we ended up in Fairfax. My first in-depth exposure to the Springfield area was in 1980 as a federal management intern doing an audit of the GSA warehouses. Been trying to get them to shut down ever since.
What community “hidden treasure” do you think more people should know about? It’s not a hidden treasure, but I like going to Concord Plaza Shopping Center. There are three great “guy stores” in one place: Fishers, Boaters World and Woodcrafters. In retail, you often hear the term “power center.” Maybe Concord Plaza is a “testosterone zone.”
When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a city manager.
If you were able to take a road trip anywhere right now, where would you go? I’m taking my wife and son to Oregon so they can both see the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
What are your personal goals? Get a job. Anyone in the marked for a used politician?
How have you seen the Springfield community change over the years? I’ve seen good and bad changes. The best change was the addition of the Medical Education Campus just below the Springfield Mall. The worst change has been the decline of Springfield Mall. We’ve begun working with the new owners and the community to redo the mall into something we can all be proud of.
What do you miss most from when you first moved here? I certainly don’t miss our area interstate before the Mixing Bowl project. Sometimes the good old days weren’t all that good.