Julius D. "JD" Spain, Sr.
Member, Arlington County Board
Spain Sr. was elected in the 2024 November County Board General Election, the first General Election in Arlington’s history to use Ranked Choice Voting.
Spain, Sr. is a retired combat veteran of the United States Marine Corps with 26 years of service. In 2001, he deployed in the first wave of American troops to Operation Iraqi Freedom. After serving a four-year diplomatic assignment in Brussels, Belgium, providing operational and administrative support to key U.S. officials such as the U.S. Ambassador to NATO and the President of the United States, he went on to serve as a congressional fellow in the United States Senate. He then served as a senior advisor for the Marine Corps Office of Legislative Affairs and later as a federal investigator for the DoD Office of Inspector General. Retiring from the USMC in 2016 with the highest enlisted rank Master Gunnery Sergeant (E9), he was awarded one of the nation's highest military honors, the Legion of Merit.
Spain, Sr. has deep civic roots in Arlington. In 2015, he was appointed by the County Board to serve on the Civil Service Commission to advise the Board, County Manager, and Human Resources staff on county policies over a three-year term. In 2018, he was elected President of the Arlington Branch of NAACP, serving two terms, which includes one term as Regional Vice President for Virginia NAACP overseeing 13 NAACP branches in Northern Virginia. During his leadership, the NAACP Arlington Branch and JD received several recognitions, including: the 2020 Community Leadership Award from the FBI Washington Field Office; the 2021 James B. Hunter Human Rights Award from the Arlington Human Rights Commission; and, the 2022 National Thalheimer Award, the NAACP’s highest award given annually to its branches for outstanding achievements.
Spain, Sr. is also a senior business leader at a management consultancy in Tysons Corner, Virginia, and a member of George Mason University’s President's Innovation and Inclusive Excellence Councils. At GMU, he fosters innovation and promotes inclusive excellence in higher education and the economy. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Maryland, University College, and advanced credentials in Legislative Affairs from Georgetown University. In 2024, he completed George Mason University’s Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer program, further solidifying his dedication to fostering equitable communities.
Spain, Sr. and his wife have been married for 32 years and have lived in the historic Butler-Holmes subdivision of the Penrose Community in Arlington since 2009. Together, they are proud parents of three adult children, all graduates of Arlington Public Schools, and enthusiastic grandparents to a beautiful granddaughter.