Philip A. Bolen Park’s Worthy Namesake

I decided on a headline for this week’s column before I started writing it: “A Park Worthy of Its Namesake.”

My impression upon attending the on Saturday was that Loudoun County’s newest park lived up to the high standards of the man for whom it is named.  I planned to write a column about the park and how its many ballfields would help meet a critical need in the county.

But eventually I realized that I had it backward.  After all, the park’s amenities and attractiveness speak for themselves. And while many of those in attendance at the grand opening used the occasion to pay tribute to Bolen, the longtime County Administrator, I realized that the vast majority of those who will be using the park – most of whom moved here long after his retirement in 1991 – never had the opportunity to know the man.

Believe me, he was more than worthy of having his name on this fine park.

Phil Bolen began his service with Loudoun County in 1961 as a teacher and coach at his alma mater, .  He later moved to the newly opened Loudoun Valley High School, where he taught physical education, served as athletic director, and coached basketball, track, golf and football.

He later joked that being out on the basketball floor with hundreds of angry parents and fans calling him names and criticizing his every move was the best preparation he could have for serving as County Administrator.

In 1967, he was named director of the county’s .  At that time, the county had no parks, no community centers, and relatively few programs.  I remember Phil saying that in those early days the department had just three employees – Bolen, his assistant (Jim Stup), and
his secretary (Cindy Welsh).  First Stup, then Welsh later served many years as the department’s director.

Under Bolen’s leadership, the county organized summer recreation programs, developed its first parks and recreation plan, and began the process of converting old schools into community centers, with the support of local community groups.

The Board of Supervisors quickly recognized Bolen’s leadership abilities, and named him to serve as the county’s chief administrative officer when a vacancy arose – first on an interim basis, then permanently.  He was named County Administrator in 1971 and served in that position for 20 years until retiring in 1991 – an incredibly long stretch of time in a profession with an average tenure of about three years.

His commitment to recreation and parks sometimes overshadows that fact that Bolen ran the county for two decades government over a period of significant population growth and change.

In 1971, the county’s population was about 37,000. Sterling Park, Loudoun’s first major planned community, was still being developed. Over the next two decades, Sterling Park, Sugarland Run and CountrySide would be completed, and the development of Ashburn Village and Ashburn Farm would begin.

By the time Bolen retired in 1991, Loudoun’s population had more than doubled, to about 87,000, and its transformation from rural to suburban was well underway.

In 1984, the published a list of the 23 most influential people in Loudoun County during the 20th Century, and another list of the most influential people in the county at that time.  Bolen was one of a handful of people to make both lists.

He was County Administrator in 1989 when Loudoun made its first purchase of a large parcel of land for use as a park – 357-acre Claude Moore Park in Sterling. That same year, county voters approved financing for the purchase of the 200-acre farm in western Loudoun that became Franklin Park.

Less than two years later, the county bought the 695-acre Banshee Reeks property south of Leesburg, which is now the county’s premier nature preserve.  The county also opened nine more community centers during his tenure as County Administrator.

With the acquisition, development and opening of Bolen Park, there are now major recreational centers in eastern, western and central Loudoun County. That this newest park is named for Bolen is a fitting tribute to his vision and his commitment to the people of Loudoun County.

Next week I’ll take a closer look at Phil Bolen and the personal qualities that made him such a successful leader.