Loudoun County Chair Phyllis Randall on service, staff pay and county priorities

Phyllis Randall, chair of Loudoun County, told the Connect with County Leaders podcast hosted by Brian Hill that a career as a mental health therapist working with substance-involved and justice-involved people prompted her to seek local office.

"I watched people walk into the jail that I thought, some of you belong here. But some of you, had you had something different starting, maybe you wouldn't be here right now," Randall said, describing how seeing young people enter incarceration influenced her decision to run for public office.

Randall framed local government as a place to find common ground across partisan divides. She said Northern Virginia accounts for roughly "42% of the population" of the Commonwealth and argued that prioritizing regional transportation, schools and the business environment benefits the wider state.

She described her record in Loudoun County as focused on workers and equity. Randall said the county completed a compensation study that moved employee pay to about "100 to 105% of the area's AMI," and she emphasized the importance of having enough staff to deliver services: "You have to take care of the people who take care of the people." She also said she helped bring collective bargaining to Loudoun County and identified herself as "a very union person."

Randall noted several other milestones during her tenure. She said Loudoun County was the first county in the Commonwealth to remove its Confederate statue, and she recounted creating the Loudoun Commission on Women and Girls after an initial board vote rejected it; the commission started in her office and later became a stand-alone nonprofit that runs a yearly girls empowerment summit.

On state-level service, Randall said she served on the Fair Housing Board (appointed by Gov. Tim Kaine and retained by Gov. Bob McDonnell) and later served as chair of the State Board of Corrections. She described those appointments as part of a broader commitment to public service across multiple governors and boards.

Asked what she hopes her legacy will be, Randall said she uses three tests each day: doing her best, acting for children’s futures and living consistently with her faith. She emphasized opening doors for future leaders: "You never go through a door and then close it behind you. You open that door wider and invite as many people then as you can."

The interview closed with mutual thanks and a Black History Month greeting from both the host and Randall.

Randall's remarks were made on the Connect with County Leaders podcast, produced by Fairfax County. The interview was conversational and covered her career background, priorities for Loudoun County, and several county and state-level accomplishments. The podcast did not include formal votes or motions to record.