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Sandy Anderson was elected chair and Robyn Lady vice chair for the 2025-26 school year during a July 10 meeting of Fairfax County’s elected school leaders.
Anderson, the Springfield District representative, said she plans to work with her colleagues, the superintendent and the community to promote academic excellence, equity and student well-being.
A Northern Virginia native and Lake Braddock Secondary School graduate, Anderson began representing Springfield on Jan. 1, 2024. She previously served as vice chair, led the Public Engagement Committee and sat on the Governance Committee. She also held liaison and delegate roles involving the City of Fairfax and the Virginia School Boards Association.
Anderson earned an English degree from George Mason University and a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She taught college English for 14 years across several states and educational platforms while accompanying her husband during his military career.
She later supported two Department of Defense youth programs focused on STEAM education for K-12 students and teenagers at risk of not graduating in traditional high-school settings.
Anderson became involved with local public schools after her children enrolled. She spent seven years on the Silverbrook Elementary Parent Teacher Organization board, including five years as president. She lives in Fairfax Station with her husband, two sons and their dog.
Anderson said she understands the difficulty and importance of the work and is committed to listening to families and employees, encouraging collaboration and making thoughtful decisions for students.
Lady, elected to represent the Dranesville District in 2023, brings more than 30 years of public education experience to the vice chair role.
She began working for the local school system as a counselor at Marshall High School and later served at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and McLean High School. She retired after 15 years as Chantilly High School’s director of Student Services, where she led programs addressing students’ academic, social-emotional and career-development needs.
Lady most recently chaired the Governance Committee and helped shepherd revisions to the grading policy. She has also served on the Audit Committee and Comprehensive Planning and Development Committee and held liaison roles involving school health, the City of Fairfax and the Fairfax County Athletic Council.
Her honors include Virginia High School College Counselor of the Year, Director of Student Services of the Year and the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling’s 2025 Apperson Award. She is a past president of that association and previously served on the National Association for College Admission Counseling board.
Lady holds degrees from the College of William and Mary, the University of Virginia and George Mason University. She lives in Herndon with her wife and enjoys golf, church volunteering and following the Washington Nationals, Commanders and Capitals.
Lady said she looks forward to supporting Anderson, working with the other elected members and helping every student in Fairfax County reach their potential.
The remaining members, whose terms continue through Dec. 31, 2027, are at-large representatives Kyle McDaniel, Ryan McElveen and Ilryong Moon; Rachna Sizemore Heizer of Braddock; Marcia St. John-Cunning of Franconia; Melanie Meren of Hunter Mill; Dr. Ricardy Anderson of Mason; Mateo Dunne of Mount Vernon; Karl Frisch of Providence; and Seema Dixit of Sully.