Keven LeBlanc is sworn in as the mayor of the Town of Herndon on Jan. 7, 2025, with his hand on the Bible his husband, Scott Mayhugh, holds. The Bible belongs to the couple’s “dear friend,” Steve Mundt. It was the Bible that was with Mundt in all of his active military deployments. Inside the Bible are the memorial cards for every soldier that died in action under Mundt during those deployments.
The newly sworn-in first-term mayor of Virginia’s third-largest town does not underestimate the importance of being out in the community nor the value of transparency in governance. He embraces symbolism, his true self and inclusivity, and takes immense pride in the town’s diversity and his purple blazer and gavel.
So who is Keven LeBlanc, the new mayor of Herndon who served his first term on the Herndon Town Council from Jan. 1, 2023-Dec. 31, 2024? In his professional career, he is CEO/President of 4A Consulting, LLC. LeBlanc has “over twenty years experience leading systems engineering, software engineering, and IT organizations for federal and state government clients,” according to his LinkedIn page. [Source: LinkedIn, Keven LeBlanc, CEO/President of 4A Consulting, LLC]
A little over one week into his two-year term, LeBlanc said he puts “a lot of attention and thought” into everything he does. Officially sworn into office as mayor on Tuesday, Jan. 7, LeBlanc said he refused a former mayor’s gift of her gavel to use during council meetings. He asserts that his term as mayor and that of the six council members represent a fresh start, a new beginning for the town, hence a new gavel, a purple one.
“Purple is the color of inclusion. It also represents New Orleans, my home. But it's meant to show that I'm working for everyone, that I'm crossing Republican and Democrat barriers,” LeBlanc said
In Virginia, city and town council elections are required by state Code to be nonpartisan; there is no indication of party affiliation next to the names of candidates for city and town council seats on official Virginia election ballots. Sample ballots by party lines and state and federal legislator endorsements are allowed, thus inherently tying party affiliation to candidate names running for city and town council seats.
LeBlanc’s willingness to change course upon listening to staff recommendations became evident in the days before the swearing-in ceremony. LeBlanc said that upon learning that he desired to have a friend read Howard Schnauber's poem, 'My Name is Old Glory,' and present a flag from the Pentagon at the swearing-in ceremony, staff expressed their desire to keep the ceremony “de minimis.”
So instead, “The Old Glory reading I'm going to do on Veterans Day, and the flag that's presented to me will fly over the Pentagon on Memorial Day," LeBlanc said.
Wanting to highlight inclusion at the ceremony, LeBlanc said that he decided to show “subliminally” that “the town council represents our entire community.” He described the various items included in first-time-ever diversity display exhibited in Council Chambers during the swearing-in ceremony.
"I got things that represent the different civic organizations, the major ones, like the Women's Club, The Historical Society, Fortnightly … and I wanted to represent all cultures."
According to the United States Census Bureau, English is spoken in 82.2 percent of homes in Virginia but only 46.4 percent in the Town of Herndon. Spanish is spoken in 33.4 percent of the town’s homes, other Indo-European languages in 10.6 percent, Asian and Pacific Islander languages in 5.9 percent, and other languages in 3.6 percent.
“There were items that represented the subcontinent Asian, East Asians, and Hispanic Americans. The New Virginia Majority did a painting that had all the flags of Latin America. I had something from the Muslim, Pakistani, Jewish and Christian communities,” LeBlanc said. He added that someone from Palestine gave him "a protective piece of the Quran (the holy book of the Islam) in a pouch."
The town’s Black, arts, and literary communities offered items, LeBlanc said. He received autographed books by children’s author Kwame Alexander, written when he lived in the town. The town’s police department presented LeBlanc with a poster depicting the after-school program Project Hope, which unites the local police with immigrant students.
LeBlanc is taking a more proactive approach to governance. He is switching up longtime traditional procedures during work sessions, such as removing formality. Leblanc will address councilmembers by first name during the every other work sessions and hold meetings again in the Hoover Room at the Municipal Center rather than at the police station. He is committed to creating a more friendly union and said he is opting out of reading the council behavior policy before public hearing sessions.
LeBlanc highlighted his upcoming plans for the town, beginning by holding regular meetings between him and the town manager and staff, presenting the inaugural State of the Town Address and committing to overall greater transparency.
LeBlanc announced he anticipates the Herndon Festival returning in 2026, coinciding with the nation's 250th anniversary. In December 2023, the town manager announced the cancellation of the Festival that started in 1981 due to fewer volunteers and concerns with logistics and safety. Traditionally held in the historic downtown, the Festival moved to the Northwest Federal Credit Union campus in 2019, to make way for developer Comstock’s mixed use redevelopment project on 4.675-acre in the historic downtown. The firm ultimately backed out of that plan as announced on Dec. 6, 2024.
“My expectation is to bring back the Herndon Festival next June,” LeBlanc said. He described a different Festival format, one focused more on community events and celebrations extended throughout the first part of summer.
“We won't necessarily have the carnival parts, [but] it'll be downtown. I want something done each weekend through the Fourth of July, not necessarily festival-wise. It could be community picnics one weekend, a walk, a run, or something that goes from the Herndon Festival to the Fourth of July and is about celebrating the nation."
LeBlanc announced that the town is rebranding and he plans to present it along with a resolution for approval at the work session on Jan. 21, he said. “The new tagline is ‘Live Differently,’” LeBlanc said. He explained they can play with that, proposing Love Differently, Connect Differently and Eat Differently, and they “refreshed” the color palette.
The Old Town Hall’s picnic table umbrellas are coming back, as are new branding flags on the light poles throughout the town.
LeBlanc said he directed staff to learn how the town can become part of Virginia’s The LOVEworks. Program, an extension of the iconic Virginia Is for Lovers brand, designed to promote tourism throughout the Commonwealth. Leblanc would like the town to have the newest LOVE sculpture.
On Thursday, Jan. 16, LeBlanc joined the fun at Clearview Elementary School in the town where representatives of the Commanders were visiting. On Friday, he met with Jeff McKay, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
LeBlanc’s new gavel, which he uses when running town council meetings, matches purple heart wood. Purple is the color of inclusivity, a mix of blue and pink and celebrates diversity.