Manassas Park interviews candidates for school-board and governing‑body vacancies; public comment scheduled Feb. 4

Manassas Park conducted interviews Jan. 28 for candidates seeking appointment to the school board and to a vacancy on the governing body. Council said it will publish the list of candidates for public comment at a Feb. 4 hearing and make selections at the Feb. 11 meeting.

Zachary Graham, an applicant for the school board, described his work as a policy analyst in the Department of Defense and emphasized student safety, staff retention and community engagement. Graham said he could see arguments for both continuing the current appointment model and moving to elections for the school board. On curriculum and culture issues, he told council he supports inclusive holiday recognition and robust extracurricular programs and said suicide‑prevention efforts and counseling access are priorities for protecting vulnerable students.

Laura Hampton, an applicant to the governing body, described long‑term residency and experience in project management and outreach. She said the city should create pathways to employment that reflect the community's diversity, pursue proactive outreach and community maintenance efforts, and prioritize resident engagement. Hampton said she would not run in the special election if reappointed and focused on outreach, economic development and preserving public services.

Dr. Mohammed ("Moe") de Kamaldeen, a candidate for the governing body, presented his energy‑sector and academic experience and proposed phased clean‑energy and electrification planning that begins with education and federal/state grant capture. He highlighted energy‑infrastructure options such as battery storage and technical-assistance partnerships with national research labs and recommended internships and STEAM pipelines to grow the local workforce.

Stephanie Smith, another applicant for the governing body vacancy, emphasized preserving the city's small‑town character while supporting downtown economic development and small businesses, improving city communications (social media and mailed brochures), and exploring ways to reduce the city's high tax rate by increasing business revenue and occupancy in downtown lease space. She said she would likely run in the special election if appointed.

Council members asked candidates about running for elected office, budget priorities, diversity in hiring, and how they would engage residents. The governing body will accept public comment on the finalists at the Feb. 4 public hearing and plans to announce appointments on Feb. 11.