Former Alexandria Mayor Named New Director Of NOVA Parks

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria's former Mayor Justin Wilson will be stepping into a new role after his city government service has ended.

Wilson has been chosen as the new executive director of NOVA Parks, the NOVA Parks Board of Directors announced Friday. The role starts Oct. 6, 2025. It comes after current Executive Director Paul Gilbert announced in April that he would retire after 20 years in the role.

"Justin Wilson’s more than 25 years of experience as a leader in enterprise business services, combined with more than a decade as a member of the Alexandria City Council, made him the ideal choice as NOVA Parks’ next Executive Director," said NOVA Parks Board Chair Sean Kumar. "We look forward to Justin’s leadership in strengthening NOVA Parks’ regional partnerships to continue its legacy of conserving Northern Virginia’s natural and cultural resources."

NOVA Parks is a regional organization that has preserved parkland for park and recreational features for the community to enjoy. The organization represents Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, the City of Alexandria, the City of Falls Church and the City of Fairfax. According to NOVA Parks, Wilson will work with the board and staff to continue progress on NOVA Parks' 2023-2027 Strategic Plan.

Wilson had 14 years of service on Alexandria City Council, including two as mayor and one as vice mayor. NOVA Parks highlighted improvements to city services, natural resources and recreational amenities under Wilson's leadership, including conservation easements, wetland restoration, the creation of two new parks, addition of new trails, pocket parks, playing fields and pools. Wilson had previously represented Alexandria on the NOVA Parks Board of Directors, among positions on other regional commissions and committees.

Wilson did not seek re-election as mayor in 2024, attributing the decision to balancing work and family life with mayoral duties. He was first elected as mayor in 2018 after defeating incumbent Mayor Allison Silberberg in an upset victory in the Democratic primary election. Wilson defeated Silberberg again in another primary matchup in 2021 before winning the general election in November.

Wilson has worked for Amtrak for 19 years, most recently as senior director for business services. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a fellow of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. In between work, he is an avid runner and completed ten marathons. Wilson and his wife, Alex, live in the Del Ray neighborhood and have two children, Eli and Lena.