Board Member Bios
President - Jan Lilja
Hello. My husband and I have lived on Kirkwood Drive for 27 years and before that lived in Wood Acres for 7 years. So I have lived in the 20816 zip code longer than any other place in my life. We raised three children here, all of whom went through WoodAcres, Pyle, and Walt Whitman, and are now all public school educators in the area.
I spent 38 years working in public service here in Washington. I intended to spend my life in California, but was recruited to work at the Congressional Budget Office and so drove east not expecting that it would be a one way trip. I migrated to the federal Executive Branch: working on Federal Nutrition programs at USDA; managing the Telecommunications and Cyber operations at USDA; and, last and most fun gig, serving as the COO at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian.
I have served on the SCA Board for three years. The first year as First Vice-President, the second working on Traffic and Safety issues, and the current year as President. This year has been challenging as many Traffic issues and County planning issues have developed that required the Board to develop policy positions for the Springfield neighborhood and then represent and advocate those positions to County officials, the County Council and the Westbard developer. I anticipate much of this work will continue next year.
We live in one of the best neighborhoods in the Washington area in terms of location, schools, and appearance. We can also make it one of the best in terms of civility, friendliness, and neighborly relationships, and I am committed to that.
Thank you for considering my candidacy.
1st Vice President - T. Reid Lewis
Reid asks for your vote to continue his work in advancing issues that are important to our community.
In his role, Reid:
Leads the electronic voting process.
Manages our two email lists, Announcements, and Conversations
Manages our website, including posting documents related to Westbard, Board Meeting minutes, and other business
Communicates regularly with residents via email lists, email and telephone conversations
Strives for open, respectful, objective and impersonal dialogue seeking to inform, engage and unite our neighborhood
Works to engage residents' participation
Attends and contributes to monthly Board meetings
Helps organize, attends, and contributes to semi-annual Community meetings
Facilitates communication between the residents and the Board with email addresses such as board@springfield20816.com and questions@springfield20816.com
Acts as the neighborhood representative to the airplane noise coalition and contributes to that mission
2nd Vice President - Steve Schultz
Hi folks, I’m Steve Schultz, and I’m running for re-election as Second Vice President. My wife and I live at the end of Albia and Jordan Road, have two boys at Wood Acres, and actively volunteer at school, church, and in the community. I became involved with the SCA at the start of the Westbard planning process and successfully worked with the Board to make sure no new streets were opened on our side of the neighborhood during the Charrette Process. After seeing the hard work of the folks on the Board, I took an open board seat, and have since been re-elected.
Since then I have planned several successful community events, including our Springfield Halloween Party for the past three years. We also host a good amount of impromptu gatherings on our block. I continue to be focused on events that can serve as an opportunity to bring us together, welcome new neighbors, and have some fun. I believe in civil discourse, listening to all our residents, and supporting my colleagues in their efforts to protect our community’s interests in the planning process. Thank you for participating in the elections process and for your consideration of my candidacy.
Secretary - Claire Adams
Hi friends and neighbors. I am excited to be running for Secretary of the SCA board. I have lived on Cromwell Drive with my husband and two elementary school-age children since 2014, and we have relished being a part of the Springfield community.
As a former MCPS school teacher and parent, I am interested in preserving the neighborhood as a place where children can explore, bike, and enjoy the neighborhood in a safe, nurturing, and caring community.
I became involved in the SCA this past summer through my work on the temporary traffic committee, and I am looking forward to continuing to build relationships with SCA board members and the larger community. As Secretary, I hope to advocate for residents’ concerns and needs to help make Springfield the best neighborhood around.
I would be honored to serve the Springfield community, and I genuinely hope you will elect me for this position on the SCA Board of Directors. All the best, and I hope to see you soon!
Newsletter & Communications Officer - Radhika Sinha
Hello, I’m Radhika Sinha, and I’m running for re-election as Newsletter and Communications Officer. I live on Ridgefield Road with my husband, our daughter and our dog. This is my third time standing for election for a position on the SCA board.
A little bit about me. We moved to the Springfield neighborhood eight years back from Néw Delhi, India, where we’d lived all our lives. My husband works for the World Bank Group and I previously worked in Investment Banking in India with Citibank and Goldman Sachs. My daughter attended Wood Acres ES. We enjoy meeting new people, traveling, participating in healthy discussion with people with diverse viewpoints. You’ll usually spot me walking our yellow lab around the neighborhood.
I'm responsible for the creation and distribution of the newsletter, the 'Springfield Sentinel' 2x a year as well as coordinating other communication efforts of the board. This year, given the exponential increase in traffic through the neighborhood, I additionally worked on:
Collating and compiling a 7 page document of neighborhood suggestions to improve the traffic situation and advocating with MDOT and Regency on behalf of the neighborhood
Sent hundreds of pictures of large trucks in the neighborhood on a daily basis to Regency and County officials. As a consequence, MDOT installed enforceable signs for ‘No Trucks over 10,000 lbs’ leading to greater police enforcement in the neighborhood
Chaired the Traffic Committee to analyze traffic issues and develop a comprehensive package of recommendations during the summer. Submitted a detailed traffic report to the Board that was the basis of advocacy with MDOT, Regency and Councilmember Friedson
Sent a letter to Councilmember Friedson advocating for traffic measures in the neighborhood
Submitted the requested traffic measures in the 311 system
Constant advocacy with Regency, MDOT, SHA, DPS and MPD including participating in Town Hall Meetings on traffic issues
Treasurer - Joe Foster
Hello, Hard to believe this Thanksgiving will mark 5 years since we bought our place. I live on the corner of Jordan Road and Kirkwood with my 2 young children (daughter who will be starting at Wood Acres next year and son who was just born October 2021) making me keenly interested in preserving and improving Springfield as a great neighborhood for families and children as we plan on being here for a long time!
Professionally, I have an Engineering Bachelor’s degree and an MBA with a focus on Finance and Decision Science. I manage a multi-million dollar per year technology program around cloud computing at NASA.
Zoning Officer - Leanne Tobias
Leanne Tobias has been a resident of Springfield for over 25 years. Her husband, Jeff, is a lawyer with the federal government.
Leanne is a 30+ year commercial real estate industry veteran who has managed or overseen investment and development valued at over $1 billion. She has deep expertise in Montgomery County land use policy and has testified before the Planning Department, Planning Board and County Council on the major development issues affecting Springfield, including Westbard and the new Thrive 2050 plan, which designates River Road as a Growth Corridor targeted for upzoning. As a result of this work, Leanne has developed Countywide relationships with civic and neighborhood associations active on local land use issues.
Leanne recognizes that Westbard and Thrive are consequential for life in Springfield and create both benefits (economic growth, new retail and housing options) and challenges (congestion, pressure on local services and schools, removal of tree canopy, decline in environmental quality.) The forthcoming implementation of Thrive and the River Road Growth Corridor is particularly important, requiring careful monitoring, reporting and evaluation of the land use changes recommended to the County Council and the public.
As SCA’s Zoning Officer, Leanne works ensure that SCA’s Board and members are well-equipped to understand emerging County land use policies and programs and, if desired by SCA, to undertake a considered and effective response.
Traffic & Security Officer - Jon S
As a volunteer member of the Traffic Committee working to reduce the traffic impact of the Westbard Detour Plan, I'm up to speed and ready to hit the ground running as Springfield's next Traffic/Public Safety Officer.
I live in the neighborhood with my young children so traffic and safety are a priority for me.
My 15 years of commercial real estate experience make me the right person to interact with the people redeveloping Westbard as I know their priorities and can use that knowledge to get the best deal for Springfield.
Thanks for your vote!
Membership Officer - Camille Stephan
My family and I moved to Bethesda twelve years ago from Austin, Texas where I was very involved in my homeowner association. Since moving to the neighborhood 10 years ago, my family and I fell in love with the community and the big family we now call home.
We live on Ogden Court and prior we rented a house on Kirkwood. You probably have seen my family of five walking our dog around the neighborhood every evening. We say hello to many of you as we walk by.
I am a computer engineer by training, but now work for the Department of Education.
I am interested in maintaining and growing our membership database because I believe it is the best way to welcome new members, ensure a sense of community and build a strong base for advocating for our concerns. I also have the skills and background in data management and would love to apply these skills to serve our community.
Environment Officer - Paul Connor
Hello neighbors. My name is Paul Connor and I am running for re-election as the Environment Officer. I have lived on Cromwell Drive in the Springfield neighborhood for more than 22 years. My two children attended the local public schools and my family has enjoyed and benefited from the Springfield neighborhood.
I have a long-standing interest in environmental protection and I spent my career in this field. I worked at the U.S. EPA for twenty years. I managed a not-for-profit organization of local government environmental officials, and I finished my career as a consultant.
I am interested in continuing the SCA’s work in replacing dead and dying trees on County property. I also want to work with the County to improve the quality of Willett Branch Creek, and I want to promote the recycling of compostable material in our neighborhood.
It would be a privilege to serve the Springfield community and I hope you will re-elect me to this position on the SCA Board of Directors.