Profile: Shahid Malik, Sully District Supervisor Candidate

At A Glance

• Born: Lahore, Pakistan; moved to Fairfax County in 1985.
• Education: Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan, bachelor of science Degree in information systems.
• Family: Married, four children.
• Occupation: Small-business owner.
• Public Office: None.

When he campaigns for the Sully District Supervisor’s post, Shahid S. Malik (D) likes to talk about what he learned as a youngster on the road, walking over a three-year period from his native Pakistan to Germany.

Hitchhiking across the Indian convenient, through the Middle East and into Europe would probably be impossible and ill-advised these days. But in the pre-9/11 world of the late 1970s, it was a dream-come-true for Malik. He had just graduated with a computer systems degree and wanted to see the world, setting off with $200 in his pocket and his clothes tied in a rucksack on his back.

“I stayed out of the big cities because I wanted to see how the people in the small towns lived,” Malik said. “I learned a lot about people and how many different people live.”

During his travels, Malik, a former Boy Scout, learned seven different languages, including Farsi, which allowed him to wrangle a translator gig at a lock factory for three or four months outside of Tehran. He also learned about compassion and the necessity of community service — of those who are fortunate enough to be able to give back to their communities.

That sense of community service led him to enter the Sully District race for County Supervisor. He is running against incumbent Michael Frey, a Republican, who has held the seat for the past 20 years. The Sully District, which includes Centreville, Chantilly and Oakton, is considered marginally Republican. The election is Nov. 8.

Malik lived in Germany for awhile and then in 1985 joined the rest of his family in Fairfax County where they had resettled from Pakistan. He worked managing a number of small businesses and snagged some contract jobs dealing with government security software.

In 2008, Malik opened a Herndon event management company called “R U Being Served,” which he and his wife, Bushra, own and operate.

Malik offers himself up as a conservative Democrat, willing to cross the aisle and work with the Republican minority on the board of supervisors.

“I will not be a partisan,” he said.

Transportation is a major issue for Sully District residents, who suffer from a horrendous commute made worse by the lack of direct access to Metro trains, Malik said. Extending Metro rail out past Vienna, maybe all the way to Manassas, would be one of his priorities.

He applauded the move to replace Metro bus service in the Sully District with the cheaper Fairfax Connector service, but said it didn’t go far enough. He would advocate for additional buses and a better advertising system to get more people out of their cars and onto the bus.

“We can get more cars off the road and help those people in the county who can’t afford to have a car and need to take the bus,” Malik said.

He also supports recruiting good teachers in the county schools, but said somebody needs to put a brake on the proliferation of student fees, like athletic fees and class materials fees, that make it difficult on the less-well-off parents. He is also a history nut and said he would work to continue to preserve the many historic spots in the district.

“My decision to run for office is a mature one, because I want to give back to the community,” Malik said. “With my diverse background, and community involvement, I have what it takes to be an effective and engaged supervisor.”