Democrat to seek Manassas Council seat

Patricia Richie-Folks, a local business manager and the daughter of a preacher, will be the Democrat candidate in the May 1 election for the Manassas City Council. Richie-Folks says she intends to campaign on economic development issues because “that’s the key to having the resources necessary to better fund education, public safety and all the core services that local government provides.”

Richie-Folks told the Democratic Caucus in her acceptance speech Feb. 6, “I am committed and focused on making the City of Manassas the best place to live for all. We need transparency and inclusiveness in local government. We need input from all because we all live here and the decisions that the council makes affects us all.”

As a council member, she said she will champion “transparency in local politics and work to bring a sense of inclusiveness to the community.” She pledged to devote “time, energy and resources to benefit the people that she serves and ultimately bring a fresh perspective to the Manassas City Council.”

Born in Jacksonville, Fla. Richie-Folks moved to Miami with her family where she graduated from Miami Jackson Senior High School. With the eventual goal of becoming an entrepreneur, she attended Miami-Dade Community College where she received an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration. Through her combined work and professional experience Richie-Folks says understands employment, financial and policy issues and has experience applying her business administration education in the real world.

She is a business manager with Asian Fortune newspaper. Previously, she was the owner of a small construction company and was general manager of laundry at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

She is married to John Folks, a native Virginian, and has two grown children. She is a member of First A.M.E. Church of Manassas.