CLAUDIA DORNIN, Middleburg's new Town Clerk, arrives after a three-year stint providing career and leadership development at the Highlands Consulting Group in Vienna, Virginia. Well qualified for the job, she spent 15 years with Bell Atlantic in Human Resources, Planning and Development, Consumer Team strategy, Billing and Collection. Claudia met her husband, Bob Dornin, Jr. at VA Tech. She received her BS and MBA at the Pamplin College of Business. Bob, Claudia and their daughter, Sarah, moved to the Hill School campus in July, where Bob manages the landscape and Sarah attends 6th grade. Bob's father is well remembered for his many years at Hill School and his mother, for her constant presence at the Middleburg Bank.

Claudia's job with the Town, involves working as an assistant to Mike Casey, Town Administrator. She is the recording secretary for town meetings as well as the town representative to the Tourism Action Team, Main Street Middleburg and the Streetscape Committee. Street care is one responsibility that is dear to her heart. She was Co-Owner, with her husband, of Brookwood Gardens, a landscape contracting company. According to Claudia..."street care is good here… we have very little litter and beautiful landscape plantings mainly due to the efforts of Rico Grayson and Marvin Simms in the Maintenance Department and concerned citizen groups like Middleburg Beautification and Preservation."

"Our challenge includes how to grow while maintaining the character of a small town. We have 448 households. It is difficult to care for the infrastructure and insure that citizens get value for their tax dollars when you spread the cost of infrastructure maintenance over such a small citizen base. I hope we can maintain a positive and open dialog about growth and preserve the Town atmosphere for businesses, town citizens, peripheral landowners and visitors and yet be responsive to the times and future."

Claudia is excited about finishing work begun on the Pendleton Street Park and Trail Connector Project connecting the Town to the Hill School, and Wancopin walking trails. It was designed by Ben Hren in 1999 and has been approved and funded by the Town. It would allow for better circulation along Federal Street and open access to the Hill School property, arboretum, orchard and theater.

"I grew up in a family of nine kids and learned that family relationships and history are important. It's the same in this Town. I'm optimistic about its future and look forward to working with all who are associated with the Town."