Gross honors Mason District activists

Every year since 1984, each member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors designates two residents as Lord and Lady Fairfax in recognition of their outstanding volunteer service, heroism, or other accomplishment.  

Supervisor Penny Gross selected Lassine Doumbia Fakoli as this year’s Lord Fairfax and Alis Wang as Lady Fairfax for Mason District.

All the 2023 lords and ladies were honored at a Board of Supervisors ceremony earlier this month.

Lassine Doumbia Fakoli is one of many residents whose feet are planted firmly in two places – their adopted home in Fairfax County and their ancestral home on another continent, Gross said. For Lassine, the focus has been on giving back to both with volunteer support over the years. 

Born and raised in Mali in North Africa, Lassine came to the United States in 1981, working as a financial specialist in the Department of Agriculture. 

Lassine has for years been the primary volunteer and host for the free summertime cultural heritage concerts at Ossian Hall Park in Annandale. He sets up the equipment, provides a closed tent for costume changes, and ensures the performers and audience enjoy the experience.

Lassine’s sense of community spirit can be traced to his youth in Mali, Gross noted. Remembering his 16-mile bicycle ride to the nearest school, Lassine started a project to build a school in his home village of Koungojah. The first school had three mud-brick classrooms; now it has six classrooms built of concrete, serving about 125 boys and girls, aged 5-12. 

Related story: Annandale resident raises funds for water project in African village

He then built a community health center to memorialize his parents and a water tower to serve the clinic and school. Following in the footsteps of his father and uncle, Lassine is now the chief of his village.

Alis Wang has taken an active role in supporting the interests of Mason District and Fairfax County. Alis represents Mason District on the Fairfax County Human Services Council, serves on the board of the Baileys Crossroads/7 Corners Revitalization Corporation, and is a member of the Mason District Land Use Committee.

She served on the Site-Specific Plan Amendment Task Force that reviewed nominations for land use changes in Mason District, the county’s Redistricting Advisory Committee following the 2020 Census, and the Lake Barcroft Association Board.

In addition, Gross says, Alis has significant international credentials in her professional life, enjoys skiing, and trains for half-marathons but is always willing to take on new challenges, including becoming a Certified Community Emergency Response Team member.