McLean engineer and entrepreneur Vinson Palathingal is one of seven candidates vying for three at-large seats on the Fairfax County School Board
Vinson X. Palathingal is proud to be Asian American.
Since moving to the U.S. from Kerala, India, about 27 years ago to pursue a master’s degree in engineering, Palathingal has built a career in information technology and founded a nonprofit think tank, the Indo-American Center, that he now runs as its executive director.
He established a home in McLean where he and his wife watched their two sons grow up and attend the University of Virginia to study computer science.
Palathingal credits the values of family and hard work instilled in him during his upbringing as a conservative Catholic in India with his success, and he hopes to bring those values to Fairfax County Public Schools by becoming an at-large representative on the county’s school board.
“I strongly believe in family being the fundamental block, fundamental requirement for a kid to become successful,” Palathingal said. “No matter what kind of programs we put them into, if you don’t have a loving, caring environment, it is difficult for a child to manage through the challenges of society.”
Palathingal is one of seven candidates running for the Fairfax County School Board’s three at-large seats, which are up for election along with the rest of the board on Nov. 5.
While school board races are nonpartisan, political parties can endorse candidates. The Fairfax County Republican Committee has thrown its support behind Palathingal along with fellow at-large candidates Cheryl Buford and Priscilla DeStefano.