MEET MARCUS
Marcus Simon is a lifelong resident of Fairfax County, Virginia where he currently resides with his wife Rachel, and two children, Emily and Zachary.
Childhood: The Simon Family Goes to Washington
Marcus came to Washington in 1970 as an infant, the oldest child of Sam & Susan Simon. Sam was a freshly minted young lawyer who arrived in the Nation's Capital on a mission to change the world for the better. He went to work with consumer advocate Ralph Nader and his new Public Interest Research Group. Growing up the son of one of the original Nader's Raiders, Marcus was impressed early in life with the value of public service, and the importance of leaving the world a better place than he found it.
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His mother Susan worked as a teacher, a learning disability specialist, and an elementary school counsellor in the Fairfax County Public Schools. The family, which quickly grew to include sister Rachael, lived in homes in Arlington, McLean and Falls Church in the 1970s and 80s. Before graduating from McLean High School in 1988, Marcus attended Longfellow Intermediate and both Kent Gardens and Haycock elementary.
Marcus spent his summers at Kent Gardens Recreation Club, where he was on both the Swim and Dive teams. He played McLean Youth Soccer, Basketball, T-ball and Track. He received his Varsity letter in swimming at McLean High School, where he also wrote many articles for the School paper.
Early Involvement in State & County Government
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After returning from four years of College in 1992 with a Bachelor's degree in Middle East Studies and Journalism from NYU, Marcus went to work for Delegate James M. Scott as his first full time legislative aide. He rented a house in Pimmit Precinct which also served as the unofficial 53rd District local office. Marcus worked on Jim's 1993 re-election campaign and accompanied him to Richmond for the 1993 and 1994 legislative sessions. In 1995 Marcus went to work for then Providence District Supervisor, and candidate for Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Katherine K. Hanley. He moved with Kate to the Government Center after her successful special election campaign, and remained on her staff for the next five years. In the fall of that year he began attending Law School at American University's Washington College of Law at night.
Military Service
Marcus left the Chairman's office after graduating law school in 1999 and receiving his Commission as an officer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps. Although he'd volunteered to spend his first year as JAG serving in Korea, his assignment was changed during the final days of his training in Charlottesville, and he was assigned to the Military District of Washington and Ft. Myer, in Arlington. As an Army Captain, Marcus served as a prosecutor where he handled officer misconduct cases and all criminal cases on Ft. Myer, Ft. McNair, and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also served as a part time Special Assistance United States Attorney prosecuting civilians who committed crimes on federal military installations in the Washington area.
Marcus also provided legal support to the Emergency Operations Command Center on Ft. McNair during the days following the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon.
Private Practice
Upon completion of his military commitment, Marcus entered private practice in 2003 working as a Real Estate attorney in downtown McLean. In 2008 Marcus co-founded the Law Firm of Leggett, Simon, Freemyers & Lyon and Ekko Title, a real estate settlement, title and escrow company. Ekko Title now employees over 40 people at its eight locations throughout Northern Virginia from Fredericksburg in the South to Reston and McLean in the North.
Community Involvement
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Current Boards, Authorities, & Commissions:
Virginia Code Commission
Virginia FOIA Council
Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC)
Virginia Military Advisory Council
Virginia Redistricting Commission
Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of
Virginia Tribes
Judicial Conference of Virginia
Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel (SRCP)
Virginia State Bar
Fairfax County Bar Association
Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce (former Chair & member of Board of Directors)
Greater Merrifield Business Association (GMBA)
Falls Church Chamber of Commerce
McLean High School PTA
Northern Virginia Association of Realtors
Dranesville District Democratic Committee
Fairfax County Democratic Committee
Previously Served Boards, Authorities, & Commissions:
Virginia Board of Veterans Services
Virginia Housing Commission
Virginia Legislative Support Commission
Virginia WWI & WWII Commemoration Commission
Special Subcommittee on Campaign Finance Reform (former Chair)
NVAR Standard Forms Committee
Fairfax County Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission (Mental Health & CIT Chair)
Fairfax County Bipartisan Election Process Improvement Commission
Fairfax County Advisory Social Services Board (former Chair)
Fairfax County Industrial Development Authority ( former Vice Chair)
Fairfax County Economic Advisory Commission - Dranesville District Representative
McLean Planning Committee
Kent Gardens Recreation Club Board of Directors
Coach - McLean Youth Soccer
Kent Gardens PTA