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About Chris |
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Chris grew up in Ohio and was interested and
involved in volunteerism, public service and
politics early on. His first project was in 6th
grade (which he received an “A” on and still has on
his book shelf) to contrast and compare the 1978
Ohio Gubernatorial candidates Jim Rhodes and Dick
Celeste. |
The first campaign he became active in was President Ronald
Reagan’s re-election campaign in 1984. Campaigning for the
President and being called out, with his friends, by The
Gipper for their sign “Young Americans for a Strong National
Defense!” during one of his whistle stop tours is one of his
fondest memories. Immediately after High School, Chris
enlisted in the United States Army and served as an Airborne
Infantryman in the 9th Infantry Division and the 82nd Airborne
Division. |
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He then went on to join the Special Forces where he earned the
coveted “Green Beret” and served in the 3rd and 19th Special
Forces Groups. Chris returned from Operation Desert Shield to
attend the Special Forces Qualification Course. With a
potential re-deployment back to the Operation (later became
Operation Desert Storm) imminent, Chris proposed to and
married Kathy on December 28, 1990. Chris served as a Special
Operations Weapons Sergeant, was trained to speak Spanish and
French, was the member of an A-Team that was oriented to the
Caribbean Region and participated in Counter Narcotics
missions and the Humanitarian Assistance mission to assist
with the mass migration of Haitians to the US in 1992. After
the Army Chris served in the Ohio Army National Guard and
earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Minor in Health
Science and a Masters of Humanities at Wright State
University. Chris and Kathy were involved in local politics
through the University. During these years Kathy gave birth to
their two sons Connor and Cameron. Due to specific
experiences he had in the Army, Chris become interested in
solving the growing problem of the proliferation of Weapons of
Mass Destruction (WMD).
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As a result of his military service, education and expertise
in the Counter WMD field, He was recruited by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation to support the FBI Laboratory Division
in 1998. Woodbridge, VA was recommended as a place to put down
roots as Chris began his second career and with two VRE
stations there and an excellent public school system, it was
an easy choice that Woodbridge would become their new home. |
In 2000, Chris was recruited to assist the Department of
Defense’s Nunn-Lugar Program, known also as the “Cooperative
Threat Reduction Program” as a Government Contractor, with
helping to render secure and safe and eliminate Former Soviet
Union Biological Warfare Facilities. |
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He also managed collaborative biological (public health)
projects between western scientists and Former Soviet
researchers. The early goal was to assist the former Soviet
Scientists in creating businesses so they could make a living
with their expertise now that they were losing government
funding for their weapons programs. |
Improving
infrastructure, training the workforce, conducting
market studies (where none had been done before) and
reviewing business plans was the bulk of the work.
Chris oversaw a team of experts that worked
throughout the region. He, specifically, was
responsible for the Security and Safety of Russia’s
former Anthrax and Smallpox research facilities and
led the expansion of the program into Georgia and
Azerbaijan. During this time Kathy gave birth to
“their Virginia girl” Karoline and Chris earned a
Master of Science in Bioscience Management from
George Mason University.
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Chris went on to be the Program Manager of the
United States Navy Bureau of Medicine’s (BUMED)
Advanced Medical R&D Program where he assisted the
Navy with implementation of a portfolio which
included prophylaxis, therapeutics, devices and
psychiatry projects. He then became a management
consultant and business developer, helping win work,
create jobs and improve customer service, which he
still does to this day. |
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At approximately 5 p.m. on January 12, 2010 Haiti
suffered a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that destroyed
much of Port Au Prince and created a national
disaster that caught the attention of the entire
world. The CEO of the company Chris worked for at
the time declared they would directly involve
themselves in the reconstruction of the nation and
shortly after the 12th of January, because of his
military experience with Haiti and expertise in
Consequence Management, Chris was dispatched to
Haiti to find how his company could help. Launching
from Ft. Lauderdale in a private jet, because no
commercial service had returned to the island yet,
Chris landed at the Port Au Prince airport while
still under the control of brother special
operators, United States Air Force Combat
Controllers.
Chris went on to make many
contacts in Haiti and was awarded work to assist the
United States with its reconstruction efforts and to
study post reconstruction energy needs,
specifically, a review of alternative fuels. During
the lead up to the recent Presidential elections
there, a close friend and a member of the Haitian
Diaspora contacted Chris and told him that he was
working for Candidate Michel Martelly and they were
seeking his advice on their campaign. After being
cleared corporately, legally and following the
strict protocols of the U.S. Government, Chris was
cleared to meet with and provide political advice,
as needed, to the candidate. Michel Martelly went on
to be victorious and is now the President of Haiti.
Chris and Kathy have been members of Our
Lady of Angels Catholic Church since 1998 and became
active locally through the school system as they got
to know teachers and other parents. After moving
from an apartment in Woodbridge to their new house
in Rippon Landing, Chris and Kathy began to get
deeply involved in local politics after the 2000
Presidential election. Knocking doors, making calls
and volunteering at events for candidates Chris and
Kathy got to know their community even better and
fell deeper in love with Woodbridge, its people and
blessed location on the Potomac. Picking up on
Chris’ long life of service, local leaders asked him
to serve once again. As a result Chris has been the
At Large Representative on the Prince William County
2008 Economic Development Task Force and Conventions
and Visitors Bureau and he currently serves as the
At Large Representative on the School Board’s Safe
Schools Advisory Council and George Mason
University’s Biosafety Committee.
Now in
their second house in Woodbridge, Chris and Kathy
have fully sunk their roots in and will be lifelong
Woodbridge Residents. Aside from his current
campaign to become the next Supervisor of
Woodbridge, Chris is also in the midst of launching
a campaign to bring one of the extra pieces of World
Trade Center steel, brought to Prince William County
for a future 9-11 memorial, to be placed at Freedom
High School as an interactive teaching peace to help
students make choices about potential, future
careers in public service whether it be the
military, government, peace studies or politics.
If you know Chris, then you know he always looks
to turn bad things into good and there is no problem
that is not solvable.
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Chris Royse for Supervisor
P.O. Box 5223
Woodbridge, VA 22194
Paid for by Chris Royse for Supervisor
© 2011 |
