 In January 1966, he was elected Chairman of the Board by his fellow supervisors.Fairfax County voters approved a referendum in November 1966 that changed the county's plan of government from the county executive form, under which the county had operated since 1952, to the new urban county executive form.A significant change to the Board of Supervisors was the change of the chairmanship from a single year term selected by the supervisors from among their membership to an at-large office directly elected by the voters of the county.