Andrew leads the Columbia Pike Partnership in Arlington, Virginia – a position he’s held since December 2023. As Executive Director, Andrew is responsible for leading the Partnership in its effort to foster community engagement, economic development, and equity for the residents, businesses, and other key stakeholders who live and work along the Pike.

Prior to leading the Columbia Pike Partnership, Andrew served as Arlington Thrive’s Executive Director from March 2016 until February 2023. At Thrive, he led the organization through rapid expansion and spearheaded Arlington’s eviction prevention efforts and the economic assistance response to the COVID-19 crisis. He served as Arlington Continuum of Care’s Chair for two years and helped found and was the first chair of the Arlington Interfaith Network. A prolific fundraiser, Mr. Schneider grew Thrive’s fundraising by over 125% since 2016 and worked with a major Thrive Donor to establish a nearly $1 million endowed fund in 2018.

Before taking the helm at Arlington Thrive, Mr. Schneider spent five years working for his alma mater, the College of William & Mary, managing the alumni engagement efforts for the College in the Washington, DC area with an emphasis on Business School alumni and helping secure alumni donations ranging from $1,000 to $5 million. Prior to that, Andrew spent time with The Washington Post, working in politics at the White House for Vice President Al Gore, and living and working overseas.

Active in his community, Andrew has run for office twice and has been an active participant in community affairs, including serving as President of his civic association and being named a member of the inaugural “Arlington 40 under 40” by Leadership Arlington in 2014. From 2009 to 2023, Andrew served on the Board of CRi (formerly Community Residences), where he served in a variety of roles, including Chair, Treasurer, Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, and Vice Chair and Chair of two separate CEO searches (2015 and 2023), he remains an active member of CRi’s Governance Committee.

In addition to his BA from William & Mary, Mr. Schneider received an MBA from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. He was the host of a weekly radio show, Arlington Voices, which aired on local radio from 2016 to 2020.

A native of the DC Metro region, Andrew lives in Arlington with his two children, Alan and Elizabeth, and two dogs, Trixie and Ginny.

Amy McWilliams has worked with the Columbia Pike Partnership for twenty years in various capacities, including administration, event coordination, and advocacy. Since 2017, Amy has been the organization’s full-time Deputy Director, having served the organization on a part-time basis prior to 2017. She is the “institutional knowledge” of the Columbia Pike Partnership, having served 6 of the past Executive Directors, and is experienced in working with Arlington County. Amy is also a proud Union member of Actor’s Equity Association, and has appeared throughout the region’s stages for 25 years prior to taking the full-time position. She holds a BA in Political Science with a minor in Economics from Western New England College.

Stephen Gregory Smith is a long-time resident of Arlington; for 21 years, Stephen has built an incredible professional experience in a variety of fields, from Landscape Design, Landscape Team Leader, Dog Daycare Manager, Film Series Curator, Actor, Director, Writer, and Podcast host, Stephen’s multifaceted experience brings a broader understanding of business management, culture, and diversity vital to the organization. Stephen joined the Columbia Pike Partnership in 2016 and has been an unstoppable force in creating and promoting events and spaces to connect our beloved community of businesses and residents. One of the major reasons that he joined the organization was its dedication to retaining the diversity of the corridor, along with its diverse businesses.

Alejandra is a dedicated, and passionate individual with an extensive professional track record assessing needs, improving efficiencies, and strengthening communities. Alejandra has over 10 years of outreach experience, training & technical assistance, and operation management roles in the non-profit, education, business, and government sectors. She’s passionate about connecting others to resources and is eager to use her experience and skills to help businesses.

A native of Honduras, Alejandra is a native Spanish speaker and has called the Columbia Pike corridor home since 2012. Alejandra is an active member of Arlington Medical Reserve Corps, The Crystal City Pentagon Rotary Club, and a graduate of Arlington Neighborhood College.

Andrea is a dedicated and results-driven advertising and marketing specialist with over ten years of experience, Andrea holds a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and is very passionate about crafting innovative advertisements that not only are impactful to and for our partners and residents, but that create positive and profound changes in the community. She delivers data-driven marketing solutions through powerful, strategically targeted, and thoughtful campaigns via a variety of media platforms and is fluent in Spanish and English. Andrea is a resident of the Columbia Pike corridor in Fairfax County, and her understanding of the community adds an extra level of commitment to the organization’s mission. Andrea joined the Columbia Pike partnership in 2021.