Board of Directors

SFDC’s 13-member Board of Directors represents a broad cross-section of community, business, economic development, and real estate leaders.

SFDC Officers:

• Walter C. Clarke, President, is a Business Banking Vice President with Burke & Herbert Bank and has served on the SFDC board since 2011.
• John Thillmann, Vice President, an urban planner, is Vice President of Landmark Atlantic Holdings, a Real Estate Development Firm with projects up and down the East Coast of the US and in Texas. John has been actively involved with the SFDC since 2007.
• Bruce Leonard, Treasurer, is Managing Principal of Streetsense. He has over 20 years of experience designing and executing mixed-use projects throughout the United States and Europe. Bruce is also the chair of SFDC’s Community Appearance, Planning, and Transportation (CAPT) Committee.
• Karen Pohorylo, Secretary, is the owner of Pohorylo’z Fitness Upholstery. Karen is a native of the Mount Vernon area and is also an active member of Mount Vernon Council of Citizens’ Association, Fairfax Federation, and Engleside Civic Association.

• Dr. Dean Bellas, Ph.D is President of Urban Analytics. His research interests include regional and local developmental growth patterns, economic and fiscal impact effects of real estate development on municipal government, and economic development policy.
• Rachel Carter is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker, and a member of the Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
• John Collich is the Senior Vice President of Saul Centers, Inc. and B.F. Saul Company and is responsible for acquisitions and development for the companies. He recently joined the SFDC Board of Directors.
• Claiborne Gayden is the Director of Development at the School of Management at George Mason University. He has served on the SFDC Board since 2013.
• Ron Glass is a Senior Vice President of Commercial Real Estate for Long & Foster. He was elected to the Board in 2011.
• Charles Huntley is a civil engineer with more than 25 years’ professional experience in Northern Virginia.  He is currently a Vice President with Bowman Consulting and is a former Principal of Huntley, Nyce and Associates.
• Richard (Dick) Knapp has spent 27 years in the US Army and a decade in private industry. He has had an avid interest in Richmond Highway since 1978, and has been very active in his community association and his church.
• Tom Shaw is founder and president of International Information Resources (IIR), now in its 26th year. He has served on the SFDC Board of Directors and chaired its Marketing Committee since 2008.
• Katherine Ward, a retired USAF Colonel, is a licensed real estate agent focusing on commercial and residential clients as a member of Long and Foster Realtors. She currently is the Co-Chair of SFDCs’ Economic Development Committee.