New Video Series: Conversations with Christina

Public Servant. CEO. Founder. Entrepreneur.

Those titles tell you what someone does, but they rarely tell you who they are. Behind every business, big idea, and community milestone is a story worth telling, yet we often know leaders by their roles, not the experiences that shaped them. 

Conversations with Christina is a new video series from Prince William County Economic Development & Tourism (PWCDEDT) that goes beyond the introductions, creating space for conversations that feel less like interviews with expected answers and more like genuine discussions that reveal the people behind the work.

Hosted by Executive Director Christina Winn, the series brings viewers into candid conversations with the leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers right here in Prince William County. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in economic development, including the last seven in Prince William County, Christina approaches each conversation with genuine curiosity, uncovering the stories that don't always make it into a biography or press release.

Filmed in the Make Your Mark Studio at the PWCDEDT offices, each episode explores leadership through a different lens. No two conversations are the same, and that’s the point. Each guest brings a different perspective, whether they're an entrepreneur taking a leap, a local business owner building something meaningful, or a leader helping guide our community forward.

The Shorter Starter Course

Every series needs a strong first guest, and for Christina, that meant sitting down with her boss’s boss, Prince William County Government’s County Executive Chris Shorter.

As the County Executive, Chris oversees more than 6,000 government employees across 34 departments, helping lead one of Virginia's fastest-growing communities. He brings decades of local government experience and a leadership style rooted in service, collaboration, and community.

But in this conversation, the focus isn't on organizational charts or government operations. Chris reflects on the experiences that shaped his path into public service, from growing up in Detroit, Michigan, to the leadership lessons he's learned along the way. He shares why leading with people always comes first, why the work happening behind the scenes is often what keeps Prince William County moving forward, and yes, why he's never one to pass up the chance to get on the dance floor with senior citizens.

And one more thing: Is he team window or team aisle seat on a plane? You'll have to watch to find out.

Want to see more of Chris Shorter? Make sure to subscribe to Shorter Topics, a monthly vodcast series where Chris interviews key community initiatives, transformative county projects, and the people driving change in the local government. Hint: We are pretty partial to one of the recent episodes featuring PWCDEDT Tourism Director Kevin Costello.

The first season of Conversations with Christina will feature quarterly episodes now through June 2027, introducing viewers to public servants, CEOs, founders, innovators, and business leaders from across Prince William County.

We invite you to tune in, get inspired, and join the conversation.

For any questions or more information, reach out to Matt Dufilho, Marketing Manager, at mdufilho@pwcgov.org.