Gerry Connolly believed that all politics is local. He spent nearly three decades in public office, on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Gerry Connolly Foundation for Public Service carries that work forward by encouraging public service in others.
Where It All Started
Gerry began his career fighting hunger and helping refugees, then spent a decade on the staff of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and later worked in the private sector. As president of the Mantua Citizens Association, he brought neighbors and officials together to clean up an oil leak beneath their community, an effort that encouraged him to run for office in 1995.
Serving Fairfax County
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors governs Virginia's most populous county, home to more than one million residents. Gerry served first as Providence District Supervisor and later as Chairman, elected countywide. Throughout, he focused on the things that make a community a good place to live: open space, a healthy environment, homes people can afford, and care for neighbors in need. He introduced the resolution that created the 40.5-mile Cross County Trail, which now bears his name, launched the county's Tree Action Plan, created the Penny for Affordable Housing Fund, and oversaw the start of the Fairfax County Hypothermia Prevention Program.
Representing Northern Virginia
In Congress, Gerry served on the House Oversight and Government Reform and Foreign Affairs Committees. In 2023, the Center for Effective Lawmaking at the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University named him the most effective member of the House in the 117th Congress. He wrote the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, which created the framework for telework across the federal government, and co-authored the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA), the biggest update to federal IT law in nearly two decades. He also championed the Modernizing Government Technology Act and expanded retirement benefits for disabled federal first responders. Closer to home, he helped bring the Metro Silver Line to Dulles Airport.
He also represented the United States in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which brings together legislators from every NATO member country to shape the Alliance's direction. His fellow members twice elected him President, first from 2020 to 2022 and again in 2024. In that role, he spoke for the Alliance's parliaments and addressed NATO heads of state at their summits, including the 2024 summit in Washington marking NATO's 75th anniversary.
Carrying It Forward
Gerry passed away in 2025 at age 75. His legacy is carried on by his wife, Catherine Smith, known to most as Smitty Connolly; his daughter, Caitlin Connolly; and his son-in-law, Mark Natividad. His legacy also lives on in those who worked for him, in the community members who collaborated with Gerry to shape our community, and in all those aspiring to be the next generation of public servants.