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Chris Bruno is leaving Fairfax City after nine years of expanding its economic development operation, launching business-support programs and raising the city’s profile among investors.
Bruno, Fairfax City’s economic development director since 2016, will finish his tenure Aug. 18. He is returning to New York to become New York Law School’s first chief of economic development programs and strategies.
Bruno said the timing felt right because Fairfax now has an economic development framework designed to endure beyond any individual leader. What began as a one-person operation has grown into a 12-member team divided between the Economic Development Authority and Economic Development Department under the Fairfax City Economic Development umbrella.
During his tenure, Bruno sought to strengthen the tax base, diversify the business community and establish Fairfax as a leading Northern Virginia investment destination. He pointed to the city’s central location, quality of life, available rental space and relatively low barriers to entering the market.
His team also built programs supporting technology, life sciences and entrepreneurship while developing partnerships with public agencies and academic institutions.
Among the department’s major projects was using publicly owned property to support the development of Drapers Steak & Seafood without taxpayer expense. The city also partnered with its largest employer, science and technology company Zeta Associates, on a retention agreement intended to keep the business in Fairfax for 10 years. The city provided funding to help modernize the company’s space.
Bruno also highlighted the growth of Fairfax City Restaurant Week, which he said strengthened the city’s reputation as an international dining destination in Northern Virginia.
Fairfax expanded its reach beyond the region through relationships with John Cabot University in Rome and George Mason University’s partnership in Seoul, South Korea. The city also became a founding member of the 10-jurisdiction Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance.
When the pandemic threatened local businesses, Bruno’s team connected them with emergency funding, programs and other recovery resources.
The department introduced initiatives including the Façade and Interior Improvement Grant and Lease Incentives for Fairfax Tenants program. It also reimagined and relocated the Mason Enterprise Center, Fairfax City’s small-business incubator.
Bruno described building a nationally respected, culturally and gender-diverse staff as his most important accomplishment. He said the team’s range of perspectives improved its programs and strengthened its connections with the business community.
His work earned national recognition in January 2023, when he received an Economic Development 40 Under 40 Award honoring leadership, commitment and innovation among professionals younger than 40.
Fairfax Mayor Catherine Read said Bruno left a lasting mark by assembling a talented team, fostering creativity and promoting the city as a center for business growth. She also called him a trusted partner and thanked him for nearly a decade of service.
Bruno said his departure is bittersweet. Although he will not miss every late-night City Council meeting, he said he loves Fairfax, its economic development organization and the body of work the team created. He believes the operation is well-positioned for another leader to continue its growth.
His new role returns him to the law school where he earned his degree. Before coming to Fairfax, Bruno served as assistant general counsel for the New York City Department of Small Business Services.
Since the pandemic, he has also served as a senior fellow for law and leadership at New York Law School. In that role, he designed the Tribeca Pandemic Recovery Task Force, helped guide the creation of a neighborhood merchants association and worked with students pursuing virtual law-firm internships.
Bruno said the school’s dean and president wanted the institution to take a larger role in supporting Lower Manhattan’s economic health and asked him to lead that effort.
He leaves Fairfax confident about its prospects, calling his time with the city “the opportunity of a lifetime.” Bruno said Fairfax is positioned to accomplish significant economic development work in the years ahead.