Christopher Bruno
Christopher Bruno was appointed Director of Economic Development for the City of Fairfax in May of 2016. He concurrently serves as President & CEO of Fairfax City Economic Development, a partnership between the Economic Development Office and the Economic Development Authority. In these roles, Christopher is responsible for coordinating the economic development priorities of the Mayor and City Council with the Authority’s efforts. A core focus since Christopher’s arrival has been cultivating and leveraging strategic partnerships with higher education, jurisdictional partners, and developing an emphasis on establishing Fairfax City as a center for innovation and business development. In 2019, following Amazon’s announced relocation to Northern Virginia, Christopher and Fairfax City Economic Development joined other Northern Virginia jurisdictions to form the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance.
Since joining, Christopher has led a substantial increase in the size and scope of the economic development portfolio. Christopher has spearheaded important economic development initiatives such as Fairfax City Restaurant Week and led ReConnected, Fairfax City’s largest small business support program, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, following the development of a new five year strategic plan, Fairfax City Economic Development began focusing on strategic business investment, including retention and attraction efforts, as a core component of its work. Simultaneously, Fairfax City Economic Development also relocated out of City Hall to class-A office space to accommodate a growing staff.
Prior to joining Fairfax City, Christopher served as Agency Counsel for the New York City Department of Small Business Services. At SBS, he was responsible for working with the City’s network of over 70 business improvement districts, and for coordinating the legal components of the commercial revitalization programs as part of the City’s community development block grant program administration. Additionally, from 2012-2014 Christopher served as a senior member of the Avenue NYC team and played an integral role in the Agency’s response to Hurricane Sandy by forming two community based development organizations in the hardest hit commercial areas of New York City.
Christopher holds an undergraduate degree in history and a master’s degree in elections and campaign management from Fordham University in New York. He obtained his juris doctor degree from New York Law School and is licensed to practice law in New York and New Jersey. Christopher currently serves as a Senior Fellow for Law & Leadership at New York Law School and is on the board of the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance. He is also a member of the Fairfax City Manager’s Senior Leadership Team.