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Katie Cristol will step down Friday, March 13, after leading the Tysons Community Alliance for less than three years, leaving the organization as Fairfax County considers restructuring its placemaking groups.
Cristol announced her resignation to the alliance’s board on March 6, days before the inaugural Vision Tysons summit at Capital One Hall on March 12. She said she is leaving to pursue other opportunities.
“Tysons’ story is still being told,” Cristol wrote in her departure message. “It’s been an honor to join you for this chapter, and I will be eagerly rooting for your continued success.”
The alliance announced March 11 that Drew Sunderland, its vice president of strategy and research, will become interim CEO after Cristol’s departure. Sunderland is the longest-serving staff member across the Tysons Community Alliance and its predecessor, the Tysons Partnership.
Cristol became the alliance’s first permanent CEO in July 2023 after being hired that May. A former Arlington County Board chair, she brought experience with housing, transportation and development policy to an organization working to transform Tysons from an auto-oriented commercial center into a community where more people live.
The nonprofit replaced the Tysons Partnership and is responsible for advancing Fairfax County’s vision of Tysons as its downtown. Its December 2023 strategic plan emphasized economic development, transportation, accessibility, housing and community amenities.
During Cristol’s tenure, the alliance regularly published economic data, supported public art, installed wayfinding signs and advocated for transit funding. It also organized public and member events, including the annual COPA Tysons Soccer Fest and Pedal with Petals bicycle rides.
Cristol told the board that the organization had introduced data platforms used by thousands, expanded its marketing of Tysons as a sports and entertainment destination and gained national recognition among place-management organizations. She also highlighted state grants, public-realm projects and a program credited with inspiring more than 4,000 miles of walking and bicycling around Tysons.
Some of the alliance’s projects encountered obstacles. Plans for artwork on a Dulles Toll Road bridge were abandoned because the installation and long-term maintenance requirements exceeded the rehabilitation project’s scope. Efforts to improve the appearance of Tysons’ road interchanges have also moved slowly.
On Feb. 3, Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik withdrew an item that would have authorized a public hearing on landscaping plans the alliance was expected to implement through the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Comprehensive Roadside Management Program.
Palchik’s office said the proposal would need to be reconsidered as priorities shift around placemaking and community development.
Earlier at the same meeting, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted to examine whether some county placemaking organizations, including the Tysons Community Alliance, Volunteer Fairfax and Visit Fairfax, should be consolidated or restructured to lower costs.
The alliance depends primarily on annual county contributions, although it also received $1 million this year from the Tysons service tax district for transportation projects.
County Executive Bryan Hill’s proposed fiscal 2027 budget retains $2.75 million for the alliance, matching its funding for fiscal 2026. The spending plan would eliminate a $750,000 contribution to Celebrate Fairfax and merge that organization into Visit Fairfax.
Public hearings on the budget are scheduled for April 14 through April 16, with final adoption expected May 5. The new fiscal year begins July 1.
Sunderland has led development of the Tysons DataHub and quarterly reports tracking different sectors of the local economy.
“Tysons stands as one of the most important economic centers in the National Capital Region,” Sunderland said. He pledged to work with public- and private-sector partners to preserve the district’s momentum and strengthen its position as a competitive urban center.