AUGUST 27 SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 FOUNDED 1991 • VOL. XXXVI N O . 29
Northern Virginia’s Newspaper
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA • WWW.FCNP.COM • FREE
‘Democracy Thrives In Sunshine’
F.C.’s New City Manager
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
Begins Job On Sept. 14 Hendler-Voss Takes Helm After Shields’ 23-Year Tenure BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
This Monday, the Falls Church City Council voted unanimously to hire Seth Hendler–Voss as the next City Manager of the independent City of Falls Church, Virginia. Seth Hendler–Voss will join the City as the administrative executive of the two-squaremile independent city in Northern Virginia on Monday, September 14. His appointment culminated a five month recruitment process that saw over 80 people originally apply for the job. “Seth brings to the City of Falls Church an extraordinary combination of local government experience, creative problem-solving, and a deep commitment to building strong, connected communities,” Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi said in a statement this week. “His career has consistently focused
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Table Of
Interview: Shields Reflects on His Lengthy Tenure BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Contents Editoral Our Man In Arlington Classads Critter Corner Calendar
SHARING THE DAIS after Monday’s unanimous vote to hire Seth Hendler-Voss as the City of Falls Church’s new city manager were the entire Falls Church City Council along with outgoing manager Wyatt Shields and incoming manager Hendler-Voss. L to R: Justine Underhill, Marybeth Connelly, David Snyder, Mayor Letty Hardi, Wyatt Shields, Seth Hendler-Voss, Laura Downs, Arthur Agin, Erin Flynn. (Photo: FCNP)
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Entering his last two weeks as the City Manager of the City of Falls Church, Wyatt Shields sat down with me to record a session summarizing his 23 years of leadership here. What
follows is a transcript of that conversation. Shields opened by stating: A city is a big, complex human organization and I do believe very much in public service and like to continue to serve. FCNP: What do you think contributed to the decision to
retire? Shields: Well, a couple of personal reasons. The kids are grown up, out of school, and at a personal level, it felt like a good time to make a change. And I believe that the City Council is in a good position to make a good decision
on who the next manager will be. I’m excited about a lot of the things the city is doing right now and I look forward to seeing how those develop and evolve over time as a citizen, as a resident.
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