Appointment Procedures for Advisory Boards, Commissions and Committees

Following is a description of the procedures used in advertising vacancies and appointing members to boards, commissions and committees. The Board of Supervisors follows its Rules of Order when making appointments.

Term Limitations

Many seats on boards, commissions and committees are for four-year terms that are concurrent with the Board of Supervisors’ terms. These appointee terms end when the Board of Supervisors leaves office, though appointees may continue to serve until they are replaced by the new Board. However, some boards, commissions and committees have appointees serving staggered terms; these are typically described in the by-laws of each group.

Advertising for a Vacancy

The Loudoun County Public Affairs and Communications Division publicizes vacancies for boards, commissions and committees. A vacancy may be due to a term expiration or due to the resignation of an appointee. Vacancies are advertised for at least 30 days.

Applying for a Vacancy

Interested applicants must fill out the online standard application form, which can be submitted electronically to the Office of the Board of Supervisors. Applicants may choose to fill out a hard copy (PDF), which can be downloaded, completed, and mailed to:

Board of Supervisors
1 Harrison Street, SE., Fifth Floor
P.O. Box 7000
Leesburg, VA 20177-7000

Questions regarding the mission, role, or objectives of a board, commission or committee should be directed to the Office of the Board of Supervisors by email or phone 703-777-0204 and may be referred to the appropriate staff contact.

Processing in the Board’s Office

Applications for district-specific vacancies are forwarded to the respective supervisor. Applications for at-large vacancies are forwarded to all Board members. Originals are retained in the Board’s front desk files and applicant names and contact information is entered into the database in the Board’s office.

Appointee Selection

Board members make their selections from interested applicants, in some cases after phone or in-person interviews. Some at-large boards, commissions and committees may play a role in reviewing applications, forwarding appointee recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. A recommendation such as this must be accompanied by justification as to why a specific individual is being recommended over others who have expressed interest. These recommendations are advisory in nature - the Board of Supervisors appoints all individuals to boards, commissions and committees.

Nomination & Confirmation of Appointees

Information regarding vacancies is communicated to the Board through an Appointment Item as part of the business meeting packet. Information listed in that Appointment Item includes committee seats, vacancies, advertising dates, proposed nominations and confirmations and terms. Applications, supporting documents and any recommendations are attached to this Item.

Generally nominations take place at one Board business meeting with confirmation at the next Board business meeting. It is possible for the Board to suspend the Rules of Order and for a confirmation to take place immediately after nomination if there is an urgent need to do so. For those positions subject to a background check, staff will conduct the background check once the citizen has been nominated by the Board but prior to confirmation. If any issues are found during the background check, staff will inform the nominating supervisor and Chairman of the Board, although it remains at the Board’s discretion whether or not to proceed with confirmation.

Notification of Appointment

Following each Board business meeting, the Office of the Board of Supervisors will notify applicants of their appointment.  The appointing Supervisor and staff contact will also receive notification.  Each appointee is provided with a copy of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, as required by provisions of the Act.

Notification of Applicants not Appointed

Applicants who are not appointed are thanked for their interest via letter, email or telephone.

Training of Appointees

The staff contact is responsible for notifying new appointees of the meeting schedule and location, as well as for providing training or orientation to the board, commission or committee.