Victoria Ross, community reporter for The Connection Newspapers, has a diverse media background as a reporter, editor, freelance writer and media spokesperson for local government.
A magna cum laude graduate of James Madison University and The University of Virginia, she started her journalism career in Dayton, Ohio where she was named the youngest editor-in-chief of Times Publications, a chain of community newspapers, in 1991. As a reporter and editor of The Kettering-Oakwood Times and The Centreville-Bellbrook Times, she won several Ohio Newspaper Association Awards for investigative reporting, business reporting and feature writing.
In 1994, she and her husband moved to Charlotte, where she became the media spokesperson for The Fighting Back Project, a national anti-drug program. She worked closely with the program’s co-chairs — Franklin McCain, one of the Greensboro Four who participated in the Woolworth sit-ins during the Civil Rights movement, and Cullie Tarleton, broadcasting executive and North Carolina State Representative — to raise the community profile of the program. That same year, she was appointed by the Board of County Commissioners to serve on Charlotte’s Diversity Committee. In 1997, she became communications director for Mecklenburg County government, where she worked until moving to Montgomery County in 2003.
While freelancing for several local publications, she started a Diversity Book & Film Club that was featured in The Washington Post in 2005. She grew up in Fairfax County and Baltimore, and lives in Vienna with her husband, two children, one huge dog and one small guinea pig.
Recent Stories
Fairfax County Attracts Innovative Technology Firms
More than 1,400 jobs added to local economy in first quarter.
Continuing consumer demand for innovative technology such as web filtering, data security and cloud computing has helped Fairfax County post gains to the local economy, countering the sequester effect stalling business growth in other sectors. According to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA), 27 businesses added more than 1,400 jobs in Fairfax County during the first quarter of 2013.
Celebrating ‘Everyday’ Heroes
Molina Healthcare honors local residents for making a difference in the community.
In the 1980s, Vienna resident John Horejsi and a “ragtag” group of social justice pioneers learned that Virginia was charging sales tax on food stamps. They discovered the sales tax boosted the state’s coffers by $9.5 million every year, money that they believed belonged to poor families for food or other necessary items.
Program Keeps Students ‘Jazzed’
The students packed into Halley Elementary School’s cafeteria were loud, unruly and boisterous. But then so were the teachers, parents and volunteers cheering them on. This display of school-approved rowdiness was a celebration of the success of an innovative after-school program that targeted at-risk and underprivileged students, courtesy of the Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC).
Local Models in Down Syndrome Foundation Gala
Event raises more than $400,000.
Twenty-five models with Down syndrome rocked the runway at the Global Down Syndrome Foundation “Be Beautiful, Be Yourself” Gala on Wednesday, May 8, at the Ritz Carlton in D.C. The fashion show and fundraiser is designed to raise awareness about Down syndrome, one of the most frequent chromosomal conditions affecting an estimated 400,000 Americans.
Quick Takes
Q&A with Pastor King Rhodes.
Pastor King Rhodes is founder and senior pastor of His Church International Christian Center (HCICC) in Springfield, and has been involved in Christian ministry and community outreach for more than 20 years. As a longtime advocate for foster youth, Rhodes and his ministry help support the mission of Fairfax Families4Kids, a foster-mentoring program for teens in Fairfax County. On Saturday, May 18, Rhodes’ church will sponsor the organization’s 5-K Walk during Foster Care Appreciation Month.
Through the Looking Glass
Northern Virginia Players presents “Alice in Wonderland, Jr.”
Beginning May 17, the Northern Virginia Players will perform Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland, Jr.” Join Alice's madcap adventures in Wonderland as she chases the White Rabbit, races the Dodo Bird, gets tied up with the Tweedles, raps with a bubble-blowing Caterpillar, and beats the Queen of Hearts at her own game.
Burke Civil War Marker Unveiled
The sign commemorates the “Bog Wall Ambush,” an 1861 Civil War skirmish.
Supervisor John Cook (R-Braddock) and members of the Fairfax County History Commission gathered at the intersection of Dunleigh Drive and Braddock Road on Sunday, May 5, to dedicate a new historical marker commemorating the “Bog Wall Ambush,” an 1861 Civil War skirmish. The Fairfax County History Commission hosted the dedication ceremony, which was followed by a reception at historic Oak Hill.
Absentee Voting Starts Now for Democratic Primaries
Primaries held for lieutenant governor and attorney general.
The State Board of Elections reported Monday, May 6, that absentee voting began for the June 11, 2013 primary and all localities met the required 45-day deadline for mailing absentee ballots to voters.
Helping Those Who ‘Can’t Catch a Break’
Community support for Northern Virginia Family Services grows during tough economic times.
“Most of us here lead privileged lives. You can and should make a difference in Northern Virginia.” —Earle Williams
Women Mean Business
In the two months since the much-hyped and dreaded sequester took effect, the daily economic forecast has been almost as painful as the slow grinding of bureaucratic wheels. But here’s some good economic news, especially for aspiring female entrepreneurs: the numbers are in your favor.