For Christopher Pierce, a New State Role Begins at Home in Alexandria
Career court leader and local LGBTQ+ advocate is sworn in to Virginia’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board by Alexandria Circuit Court Clerk Greg Parks.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — A new statewide role for Alexandria resident Jaime Christopher Pierce began in a place that made the moment especially personal: the Alexandria Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
On Sept. 3, Pierce—who goes by Christopher and uses they/them pronouns—was sworn in as a member of Virginia’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. Greg Parks, clerk of the Alexandria Circuit Court and Virginia’s first openly gay elected circuit court clerk, administered the oath.
For Pierce, the ceremony brought together two parts of a life built around public service: a more than 30-year career in Virginia’s judicial branch and a growing commitment to Alexandria’s LGBTQ+ community.
“Public service has been a central part of my life for more than 30 years, and this appointment gives me an opportunity to serve the Commonwealth in a different and very personal way,” Pierce said. “I’m also incredibly proud to represent Alexandria.”
Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced Pierce’s appointment Aug. 28 as part of a larger round of board appointments across Virginia.
Three Decades in Virginia’s Courts
Pierce currently serves as circuit court services manager for the Department of Judicial Services at the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia. In that role, they provide statewide leadership, guidance, and support to Virginia circuit courts. Pierce began their career in 1994 as a deputy clerk with the Virginia Beach Circuit Court and has held a range of professional and leadership positions within the court system since.
Their professional role in the judiciary is separate from the advisory-board appointment and LGBTQ+ advocacy work.
Service Rooted in Alexandria
In Alexandria, Pierce is vice chair of the Alexandria City LGBTQIA+ Task Force and serves on the Alexandria Pride planning committee. They previously served on the board of Equality Virginia. Pierce lives in Alexandria with their husband; together, they have four children.
A Newer State Board With a Big Job
Virginia’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board is only about five years old. The General Assembly created it in 2021, signed it into law on April 26 that year, and its first members began serving July 1, 2021. The board advises the governor and executive branch on building economic, professional, cultural, educational and governmental connections with LGBTQ+ Virginians. Virginia’s official board information notes that it now includes 21 citizen members—at least 15 of whom must identify as LGBTQ+—along with five nonvoting ex officio members from state government.
That mission matters to Pierce, whose court-administration experience includes work on the National Association for Court Management’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Guide. The resource helps court professionals advance access, fairness and a sense of belonging in public institutions.
“For me, representation really does matter,” Pierce said. “LGBTQ+ Virginians come from every part of the Commonwealth and every walk of life, and I think it’s important that our experiences and perspectives are part of the conversations taking place in government.”
Pierce said they hope to bring both lived experience and practical experience working with communities across Virginia to the board’s work.
“Alexandria has a strong tradition of embracing and celebrating its LGBTQ+ community,” Pierce said. “I’m proud to bring the perspective of that community with me as I serve at the state level.”
Having Parks administer the oath deepened the day’s significance.
“Greg has made history in his own right as Virginia’s first openly gay elected circuit court clerk,” Pierce said. “Sharing this moment with him, here in our community, makes it especially significant to me.”
