NOVA Parks News

NOVA PARKS ANNOUNCES FORMER ALEXANDRIA MAYOR JUSTIN WILSON AS NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
­­For Immediate Release: August 15, 2025

Fairfax Station, Va. – NOVA Parks’ Board of Directors has announced that Justin Wilson has been selected as its Executive Director, effective October 6, 2025. Wilson will be the successor to current Executive Director Paul Gilbert who announced in April that he would be retiring after 20 years in the position.

“Through a rigorous nationwide search, the NOVA Parks Board of Directors sought a candidate with the strengths and skills to lead this dynamic and innovative organization to continued success,” said NOVA Parks Board Chair Sean Kumar. “Justin Wilson’s more than 25 years of experience as a leader in enterprise business services, combined with more than a decade as a member of the Alexandria City Council, made him the ideal choice as NOVA Parks’ next Executive Director. We look forward to Justin’s leadership in strengthening NOVA Parks’ regional partnerships to continue its legacy of conserving Northern Virginia’s natural and cultural resources.”

Wilson served on the Alexandria City Council for a total of 14 years, including two terms as Mayor and one term as Vice Mayor. During his tenure as Mayor, Wilson translated community vision into strategic plans for 160,000 Alexandria residents and 2,600 City employees and steered the annual budget process for a more than $900-million operating budget and a $2-billion 10-year Capital Improvement Program. His leadership resulted in significant enhancements across a broad range of service areas. A few highlights include substantial economic development partnerships, unprecedented city school construction, record investment in infrastructure, and expansion of African American history programs. Wilson contributed to the growth of Alexandria’s natural resources and recreation amenities through conservation easements, wetland restoration, and the creation of 2 new parks, along with the addition of new trails, pocket parks, playing fields, and pools. 

As Mayor, Wilson represented Alexandria on the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Board of Directors. Wilson was also appointed by the Virginia Governor to the Commonwealth’s Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice and its Board of Juvenile Justice. Prior to his election to City Council, he served as the Chair of the Alexandria Transit Company Board of Directors, was twice elected president of the Del Ray Citizens Association, and represented Alexandria as a member of NOVA Parks’ Board of Directors. 

For the past 19 years, Wilson has served in advancing roles at Amtrak, currently leading 75 employees as the Senior Director for Business Services. In this role, Wilson is responsible for supplier management, organizational change management, resource management, capital planning and incident/problem/change support for a 1000-person technology department serving America’s national passenger rail corporation. He led cross-departmental teams to negotiate supplier contracts for complex enterprise technology initiatives, implement internal and external communications and engagement strategies, deploy cost-saving initiatives across critical infrastructure, and settle complex supplier disputes and claims.

Throughout his career, Wilson has focused on customer service and providing leadership that enables teams to serve customers, whether engaging residents as an elected official or assisting Amtrak passengers and the employees who serve them. 

Wilson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a Fellow of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. An avid runner, he has completed ten marathons, and lives in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria with his wife Alex, their son Eli, and their daughter Lena.

Over the coming months, Wilson will work closely with the 12-member Board of Directors and NOVA Parks staff to continue delivering on the goals and objectives defined in its 2023-2027 Strategic Plan. 

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