Phyllis Randall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phyllis J. Randall
Chair At-Large of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2016
Preceded by	Scott York
Personal details
Born	Phyllis Joycelyn Randall 1964/1965 Denver, Colorado
Political party	Democratic
Children	2
Residence	Lansdowne, Virginia
Profession	Mental-health therapist

Phyllis Joycelyn Randall is an American politician and a mental-health therapist. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She currently serves as the Chair At-Large of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in Virginia. She made history as the first African-American woman to lead a county board in Virginia.

About Phyllis Randall

Early Life and Career

Phyllis Randall grew up in Denver, Colorado. In the early 1990s, she moved to Ashburn, Virginia. She started her career helping people as a mental health counselor. She worked with young people and adults who had been in trouble with the law. She helped them both inside and outside of jail.

Her work in public service began when she was appointed to important state boards. Governor Tim Kaine chose her to lead the Virginia Fair Housing Board. She continued this role under Governor Bob McDonnell. Later, Governor Terry McAuliffe appointed her to lead the State Board of Corrections. These roles showed her dedication to public service.

Making History in Loudoun County

Phyllis Randall first tried to get elected to the Loudoun County school board in 2003. She also ran for district supervisor in 2007. While these attempts were not successful, she kept working hard.

In 2015, she ran for Chair At-Large of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. This is a big leadership role for the whole county. She won the election, beating the person who was already in the job. Her victory was very important. She became the first African-American woman in Virginia's history to be elected as the chair of a county board. She also became one of the first two African Americans to serve on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors.

She was re-elected in 2019. At that time, Loudoun County was growing fast, with over 413,000 residents. She won with 56% of the votes, showing strong support from the community.

Social Media and Free Speech

In 2019, Phyllis Randall was part of an important court case called Davison v. Randall. This case was about free speech on social media. The court decided that government officials cannot block people on their official social media pages. This is because of the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech.

The court found that Randall had invited citizens to share their thoughts on her Facebook page. She even encouraged them to use her "county Facebook page" to contact her. Because of this, her page was considered a public space. When she deleted a critical comment and blocked the person who wrote it, the court said she violated that person's First Amendment rights. This case was important because it helped define how public officials should use social media.

Personal Life

Phyllis Randall lives in Lansdowne, Virginia. She is married and has two children.