Reston Association annual meeting: board sets priorities on affordability, elections and design review

Travis Johnson, president of the Reston Association, opened the association’s 2026 annual members meeting and laid out three board priorities for the coming year: treat inflation as the ceiling for any assessment increase, address rising election costs that could bar volunteers from serving, and revise the design review board guidelines to make standards clearer and more predictable.

"If Reston is going to remain both exceptional and affordable, that balance has to be intentional," Johnson said, urging the board to set priorities and make hard choices to sustain amenities and open spaces.

Johnson also acknowledged the departure of CEO Matt Cummins and welcomed Peter Lusk as acting CEO. Former CEO Matt Cummins thanked staff and members and emphasized personnel and policy work completed during his tenure, including updated HR policies and a compensation philosophy he said will help the organization remain competitive.

"We cut $500,000 out of the operating budget," Cummins said, adding the reduction came from an $18,000,000 budget and that the staff continued to deliver programs despite losing a portion of IT and HR personnel.

Acting CEO Peter Lusk highlighted capital projects completed in the past year and plans for the coming season. "We’ve completed a significant repair to Lake Newport Pool, which will be open on time for pool season this year," Lusk said, and he noted the board adopted a 10‑year capital plan to guide future investments. Lusk also thanked a long list of staff and volunteers for their roles in operations and member outreach.

Members used the meeting’s public‑comment period to raise concerns and praise staff. Several speakers urged attention to campaign financing for RA board races; former RA president Cathy Mowle said a volunteer group raised over $13,000 and one candidate contributed $2,500 to campaign materials, and she warned that escalating costs could limit who runs for office. Margaret Perry reminded the audience that RA board members are unpaid volunteers.

The meeting also included an extended volunteer‑recognition segment. Awards honored long‑time contributors and youth volunteers who each logged more than 40 hours of service, underscoring the role of volunteers in sustaining the association’s programs.

The board’s organizational meeting was scheduled for the following day to elect officers and finalize committee assignments.