Patch Profile: Terron Sims II

Terron Sims II spent 15 months in Iraq helping local residents build and improve their communities.

The 2000 West Point graduate is a systems engineer by education and a field artilleryman by trade. But he says he was told to do a job, and so he did it. And he found out he loved it.

Sims, now 34 and living in the Courthouse community, coordinated with neighborhood councils to create a water delivery system, a restructured garbage system, road and school repairs and sewer improvements.

He said he learned what to do totally through on-the-job training. But he realized that if he wanted to continue that form of service, it would probably have to be outside of the Army.

Sims now hopes to continue that service on the Arlington County Board. He’s one of five Democrats seeking their party’s nomination in this week’s caucuses.

“For me, it’s about service. It’s about the greater good, and having the ability to do good for others, and assisting others at doing good within their communities,” said Sims, who grew up in Woodbridge and moved to Arlington immediately upon leaving the Army in 2005.

Sims said the neighborhood councils in Iraq were similar to the civic associations that form the foundation of Arlington.

“We really did have conversations. ‘You guys know your community. What can we do to assist you in enhancing that?’ ” he said.

When asked about his top three priorities, Sims said his systems engineering background meant he had a different way of thinking about things than others – a streamlined, linear way of thinking that looks at the most efficient way from Point A to Point B.

“That’s what my overall focus would be as a board member: How do we streamline our processes? How do we maximize our utility and minimize all of our costs?” Sims said.

As a past chairman of the county’s Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee, Sims said he would want to see five-year budget forecasting each year and find ways to improve the Arlington’s procurement processes.

The school system and the county should work together on procurement, he said, from bidding on major contracts to buying office supplies.

“The more efficient we function as a government, the better able we are to serve the residents as a whole – and the better able we are to fund those projects that need or require more funding, or the things we know will suffer because cuts Richmond will make in the coming year,” he said.

Sims has won several endorsements from elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, Arlington County Treasurer Frank O’Leary, former Arlington-Falls Church Commonwealth’s Attorney Dick Trodden and former Clerk of Circuit Court David Bell.

“Terron Sims understands what Arlingtonians value the most,” Bell stated in his endorsement. “I have come to know him as an individual not afraid to speak up when he disagrees. He is a leader. Terron has earned our support for the tireless work he has done to get good people elected to office in this County and across the Commonwealth. He will make a wonderful addition to the County Board."

Sims made a bid for the Arlington School Board in 2008. He tutors and mentors at schools, community centers and Harvey Hall – and doesn’t like it when his campaign schedule interferes with those sessions.

Sims has published two novels, dabbles in poetry and paints.

He’s collected comics since 1989, which forced him to get a two-bedroom condo when he first moved to Arlington. His favorite character is Dick Grayson, the original Robin, Batman’s sidekick who grew up to lead a group of heroes called the Teen Titans.