Manassas attorney awarded Harris prize

Attorney Kristina Keech Spitler believes in contributing her time and efforts to making the city of Manassas a better place to live, work and play.

For her many community-betterment endeavors, Spitler was recently awarded the Loy E. Harris Award during the Mayor's Small Business Awards at the Candy Factory at the Center for the Arts in Manassas.

"The award is a special honor for me because being an active part of improving the community in Manassas has been an important part of my life, personally and professionally, since beginning my career in Manassas 20 years ago," said Spitler, employment and litigation attorney and partner at Vanderpool, Frostick & Nishanian of Manassas.

Criteria for the award include that the business must be located in the city. Spitler was chosen out of several candi-dates, based on her business philosophy, core values and community involvement and support.

She has also contributed much of her time to helping Manassas by serving on the boards of many not-for-profit organizations.

Spitler serves on the board of directors for the Center for the Arts, where she helped start an annual gala showcasing the arts at the Candy Factory and also served a president-elect for the Center for the Arts.

Spitler also is on the board for the Manassas City Public Schools Education Foundation, which is dedicated to help-ing students.

In addition, she is a member of the advisory board to SERVE Inc., which helps adults, children and families who need emergency shelter. She has been a long-standing member of the Prince William County Bar Association, where she is chairwoman of the membership and mentoring committee.

She has dedicated much of her time, talents and efforts while working full-time as an attorney at Vanderpool, Fros-tick & Nishanian, where she developed an employment law and litigation practice while raising twin girls who participate in travel soccer, swimming and tennis.

Not only has Spitler been involved in high levels of leadership for many civic organizations in the area, her standout leadership was recognized by helping to initiate Leadership Prince William Inc., an organization that aims to de-velop leaders who will help improve their community.

"To be selected for the honor is something real special since so many people have worked so hard to make the city so unique," she said.

Her award was named for Loy E. Harris, a businessman who played a critical role in the renaissance of Old Town Manassas.

Spitler, a member of the Virginia State Bar, practices primarily in the areas of civil litigation and employment law. She is also a member of the Virginia Women Attorneys Association.

She has served as chairman of the Board of the Prince William County-Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce and currently serves on the Board of Regents of Leadership Prince William Inc.

Spitler graduated from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and Marshall-Wythe School of Law art the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg. Formerly she served as a law clerk for the Circuit Court Judges of the Thirty-First Judicial Circuit, and while in private practice she served as an assistant city attorney for the city of Manassas and as assistant town attorney for the towns of Dumfries, Haymarket and Quantico.

Staff writer Bennie Scarton Jr. can be reached at (703) 369-6707.