From 1995-2003, Chris Braunlich served as the Lee District representative to the Fairfax County School Board.  During his two terms in office, he fought to put more resources into the classroom by consistently voting for smaller class size and market-based teacher salaries. 

A Republican himself, he worked with Democrats to create a cash proffer system so developers would help pay for school construction resulting from new development.  And he helped to bring the world-class and challenging International Baccalaureate program to schools in his district and throughout the County.

Chris is currently vice president of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy, a non-partisan state “think tank” that includes both prominent Republicans and Democrats on its Board of Directors, where he conducts education policy research.  He formerly served as Chief of Staff to Rep. John LeBoutillier (R-NY-6), Assistant Vice President of Public Affairs for the National Association of Manufacturers, president of the Alexis deTocqueville Institution and vice president of the Center for Education Reform.

His belief in education as “the great equalizer” is strong.  He is a founding Board Member of College Access Fairfax (formerly the Fairfax Scholarship Fund), which helps capable at-risk students identify and access college financial aid, and was a member of the 2005 School Bond Committee.  Active in his community, he is a past community association and PTA Board member, member of the Mt. Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce and the Mt. Vernon Knights of Columbus, and an active parishioner at Epiphany of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church.

Chris and his wife, Eileen, are 25-year residents of Fairfax County, residing in the Franconia-Kingstowne area of the county.  They are the parents of four children:  Christian, a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force; Stephen, a first-year student at Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law; Brian, a senior at the University of Southern California; and Catherine, a sophomore at Hayfield Secondary School.