Gerry began his career as a public official on March 28, 1995. He won a special election for the Providence District seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. He defeated Republican Jeannemarie A. Devolites. He was y reelected to a full four-year term on the Board against Devolites in November, the same year. In November 1999, Gerry ran unopposed for reelection. In the year 2003, he was elected Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. He was then reelected in 2007.
He balanced a $4.5 billion budget working as a chairman of the ten-member board. He as well managed a county that would be the nation’s 13th-largest city, 12th-largest school district, and sixth-largest office market. Gerry served as Chairman of the County’s Legislative Committee. He as well served as a Vice-Chair of the Economic Advisory Committee. He also served as Chairman of the Board of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC). He also served as the Chairman of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC).
He was chairman of the Board of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG). Gerry chaired the region’s Emergency Preparedness Taskforce. He as well represented Fairfax County on the Board of the Virginia Association of Counties (VaCo), where he also served as president.
