Profile: Linda Smyth, Providence District Supervisor

At A Glance

• Born: Cape Girardeau, MO
• Education: B.A. in History, Washington University; M.A. in History, University of Virginia (UVA); Ph.D. in American History, UVA
• Family: Married, one son
• Public Office:  Supervisor, Providence District

After eight years as Providence District Supervisor, Linda Smyth still believes in the work she’s doing as a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

“As a supervisor I find that I still spend much of my time educating the public about county government processes, land use, the environment, and many other issues,” Smyth said of the position she’s occupied since 2004.

Smyth is running for her third term as supervisor against challenger Chris Grisafe. The Providence District includes parts of Fairfax, Annandale, Falls Church, McLean, Oakton and Vienna.

Her commitment to connecting with the public and working to improve life in the Providence community is a characteristic some of her constituents, like John Jennison, say make her effective as a supervisor.

“She draws on her own family experiences, especially her dedication to her husband, son and mother, to vicariously relate to the community. So when a problem arises that threatens our quality of life, Linda seems to take it personally to resolve it as she would for her own family,” said Jennison, who is the president of the Mantua Citizens' Association and the Federation of Citizens Association.

Resident Marlene Blum agrees with Jennison. “She really pays attention to the details and she takes her work very seriously. If I bring an issue to her, she pays attention. I know she’s going to have questions and she’ll take it very seriously. That’s really not that common,” said Blum, who’s known Smyth for about eight years.

Born in Cape Girardeau, MO, Smyth and her family have lived in the Providence District for the last 37 years. Her husband of 39 years, Nigel Smyth, is a Northern Virginia native. Their son, Sefton, is a graduate of Fairfax County Public Schools.

A history buff all of her life, Smyth received all three of her degrees in the subject, obtaining her bachelor’s degree at Washington University in St. Louis in 1970 and her master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 1971 and 1978, respectively. “I always enjoyed history, particularly American History, and find now that it gives me more perspective in dealing with the present, as well as optimism when planning for the future,” Smyth said.

While she worked on her Ph.D., she taught history part time at the Alexandria campus of Northern Virginia Community College. After taking time off to raise her son, Smyth began substitute teaching at FCPS schools, including Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. 

From 1999 to 2003, Smyth served as Fairfax County Planning Commissioner. Since becoming Providence District Supervisor, she has helped implement synthetic turf at several schools and parks, including , Luther Jackson Middle School and Madison High School. Smyth also chairs the Information Technology Committee and represents Fairfax County on the Council of Governments (COG) Transportation Planning Board, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and the COG Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee.

“What Linda was able to do when she was elected supervisor, because she had so much experience not only as planning commissioner, but also with community issues and work, she was able to hit the ground running. She was there right from the beginning,” Blum said.

Two of the bigger projects in the Providence District are the redevelopment of Merrifield into an urban town center and the continued growth in Tysons Corner. Smyth said those projects are part of the reason why she’s running for re-election. “We are in the midst of so many important things right now and I’ve got the experience to get these plans implemented,” Smyth said.

Much of the construction seen at Merrifield today is the result of three years of planning. Now in it’s second phase of construction, the town center will include Merrifield Park, residential spaces along with offices and retail stores such as Target, restaurants and a new movie theatre once complete.

“Tysons is on the cusp of becoming a totally different, new city with a metro opening and HOT lanes getting completed. What we learned from planning Tysons in the 1990s, we brought to Merrifield. It’s meant to be a town center with good urban design,” Smyth said of the changes.

With the economy still struggling, Smyth said she understands residents are concerned about where money is spent and invested, but she believes the county has hit a “stable spot” this year.

“I believe in practicing what we preach at the county level,” Smyth said. “We truly do know that the economy has put a strain on everybody and we are looking for ways to make tax dollars go further and spend them wisely. We have to be very careful with how we spend money and make sure we get good value for the projects we put forth and do them as economically as possible. You can’t take stability for granted.”

Related Topics: Providence District