Karl Frisch (he/him) is an accomplished non-profit executive and award-winning public policy specialist with a record of delivering for parents, teachers, and students as Providence District Representative on the Fairfax County School Board.
He has earned a national reputation for his work on a host of issues ranging from consumer financial protection and land conservation to student lending and government ethics.
Most recently, as executive director of consumer watchdog Allied Progress, Karl drove to Washington every morning to help struggling Americans targeted by predatory payday lenders, unscrupulous student loan processors, and other financial scammers.
Earlier in his career, Karl served as staff for the Committee on Rules in the U.S. House of Representatives, which considers all legislation reported from other policy and fiscal committees to determine the scope of its eventual consideration by the full House.
In 2019, Karl was elected to represent Providence District on the Fairfax County School Board, ultimately garnering more votes than any candidate for that office in the district’s history and becoming the first openly LGBTQIA+ person elected to local office in Virginia’s largest county.
On the School Board, Karl has championed efforts to address learning loss, close achievement and opportunity gaps, attract and retain world-class educators with increased pay, expand access to advanced academics and other enrichment opportunities, teach accurate history, bring additional resources to local schools, protect school libraries from censorship, and ensure all students have safe and inclusive schools.
Additionally, he has been at the forefront of efforts to eliminate literacy gaps, creatively address school overcrowding, prevent gun violence, support LGBTQIA+ students, keep immigrant students and their families together, rename schools that honored the Confederacy, encourage energy conservation and reinvest the savings in student success, and give teachers and school staff a seat at the table through collective bargaining.
In July, Karl was elected Vice Chair of the School Board by his colleagues. Last year, he served as the Board’s congressional liaison and as a member of the Audit and Public Engagement Committees. He previously served as the Board’s liaison to the Virginia General Assembly, City of Fairfax School Board, Criminal Justice Commission, and Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee. Additionally, Karl chaired the Board’s Public Engagement and Governance committees and served as one of its two representatives on the Joint Environmental Task Force (JET), which worked with the Board of Supervisors, students, and community members to address climate and sustainability issues.
The ACLU, Capital Pride, FCPS Pride, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington have recognized Karl’s policy work with awards.
The son of a waitress and union cop, Karl and his three sisters were raised in a middle-class home. An avid traveler, outdoor enthusiast, and Washington Nationals fan, he lives near Marshall High School with his partner Evan, a long-time public school teacher. They are the proud dog dads of Dexter, an energetic thirteen-year-old Wheaten Terrier mix.