Former County Exec Griffin Joins MWAA Board

Anthony H. Griffin, has been appointed to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board of Directors.

Griffin, who was appointed to the 17-member board by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, is currently a faculty member at George Mason University’s Department of Public and International Affairs and is the at-large Board Member of the Fairfax County Water Authority.

He replaces board member Michael O'Reilly, whose term ended in November.

MWAA, which manages and operates Ronald Reagan National and Dulles International airports, also oversees the Dulles Airport Access Road, the Dulles Toll Road and construction of the Silver Line project, a 23-mile extension of Metro into Loudoun County.

The MWAA Board — which has been sharply criticized by Virginia officials in Fairfax and elsewhere for its handling of the Dulles Metrorail project, including a squabble over a labor agreement for Phase 2 of the line that will run from Reston to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County — recently expanded from 13 to 17 members, for a total of seven appointees from Virginia, four from D.C. and four from Maryland, along with additional presidential nominees. 

Former member Dennis Martire, accused of racking up questionable expenses, including $9,200 to travel business class to Europe,was forced to resign Oct. 17. The incident prompted an ongoing ethics overhaul.

Griffin retired from Fairfax County government after 23 years in the jurisdiction. He also served as a member of the Dulles Corridor Advisory Committee and 10 years as Deputy County Executive. 

Between 1996 and 2012, he represented Fairfax County as a board member of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority.

Elsewhere in the region, he served as an acting county manager in Arlington County and the City Manager of Falls Church.

Griffin also served as an officer in the Marine Corps and did a tour in Vietnam. 

He holds two master’s degrees in urban and regional planning and urban affairs from Virginia Tech, and a bachelors degree from Hobart College in New York.

He and his wife have two adult children and live in Oak Hill.  

The biggest issue facing the group: toll hikes for 2013 and 2014, which it says are necessary to provide revenue to complete Phase 2 of the Silver Line.

Patch editors Karen Goff, Erica R. Hendry, Dusty Smith and William Callahan contributed reporting for this story.