Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova (D-at-large) recently appointed two new representatives to the Fairfax County Park Authority Board.

Faisal Khan, the first Pakistani-American member of the Park Authority Board, is a force in Fairfax County cricket circles and has been a strong advocate for the game. He is a founding member and current manager of the DC Metro Area Cricket League and is also the captain of his team, the Comets. Cricket—a bat and ball game—was first played in southern England in the 16th century. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being played overseas, and the first international cricket match was held in Karachi in 1935. Although field hockey is the national sport of Pakistan, cricket is the most popular sport in the country, according to the National Cricket Association.

Khan’s first official park events took place last year when he participated in a ribbon-cutting for two new turf fields at the Oak Marr RecCenter in Vienna. Both fields are striped for multiple sports, including cricket.

Khan, an advocate for all sports, said he believes that sports play a vital role in bringing together diverse communities.

“Mr. Khan is a local business owner and will bring a valuable perspective to the board,” Bulova said. “In business, Mr. Khan is a great advocate for product quality and excellent customer service, two attributes that our excellent park system embraces as well.”

Mary Cortina has been an active and engaged member of the Fairfax Community. For nearly a decade, she worked for the National Wildlife Federation supporting their mission of wildlife preservation in a variety of different roles. As a member of the Burke Centre Board of Trustees, she played a leadership role in assisting with the design of a new parking garage in the Burke community.

In 2007, Cortina was appointed to serve on the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance Exception Review Committee, and continues to make contributions to the county in this capacity.

“In addition to Mary Cortina’s extensive volunteer background,” said Bulova, “she also brings business acumen to the table, having served in a variety of positions dedicated to technical support, planning and budget.”

Khan and Cortina will take the place of Jan Hedetniemi, who is now at-large planning commissioner and Marie Reinsdorf. Bulova said she is excited that these new appointees will be able to contribute “fresh enthusiasm and perspectives” to the mix of talent already on the Park Authority Board.