From Family Man to Chairman

Mathew Fragola, staff writer

Tony O’ Brien has come a long way from having a political career in high school. O’Brien is the current representative of the Rivanna district for the  Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors. While in his second term as a member, he has many tasks at hand, such as fixing the budget and having clarity among board members.

“I chose to run as an independent because I believe the issues are not Republican or Democrat issues, rather Fluvanna issues,” says O’Brien with a radiating smile on his face. Throughout whole conversation, his smile never changed.

His daughter was the biggest influence on his decision to run for the local position. O’Brien went to the supervisor’s public meetings and realized there were some issues; Fluvanna did not invest as much into its future. Knowing his daughter would be impacted from the underfunded school system, he decided to attempt to make a change, run for  the board, and learn on the way.

Just like many, O’Brien has a family and a very demanding job. He graduated from the University of Virginia and is the primary owner of Computer Helix Systems, which opened 20 years ago. With the help of his wife and daughter, he was able to run a successful campaign for The Board of Supervisors position.

Being a member is no easy task. For O’Brien, the biggest obstacle to overcome is keeping transparency throughout the board, and knowing that some decisions he makes might impact people he knows personally. In the end, his goal is to stay true to the vision on hand.

With the image of Fluvanna growing since O’Brien’s position, he was reelected for a second term.

With the help of his family and the community, he will continue to help Fluvanna grow and to become a sought out place in central Virginia.