Kwasi Ayodele Fraser

Early Life and Immigration

Kwasi Ayodele Fraser was born in Guyana around 1971. He immigrated to Brooklyn, New York at age 10 with his parents — both registered nurses — and four siblings. He grew up in New York and pursued higher education at state and private institutions before building a career in telecommunications and energy infrastructure.

He is married to Angela Fraser. The couple's three children were educated entirely in Purcellville-area public schools, a fact Fraser has cited publicly as one of his deepest connections to the community he served.

Education and Professional Credentials

Fraser holds a Bachelor of Engineering Science from Stony Brook University (SUNY) and an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University–Newark. He completed Executive Education at Harvard Business School and earned a Blockchain for Business certificate from Cornell University.

His professional certifications include the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt — designations that reflect a career built on process management, operational discipline, and large-scale project execution.

Private-Sector Career

Fraser spent more than 25 years in telecommunications, energy, and infrastructure before and during his time in elected office. His career began at AT&T, where he held three progressive management roles: Project Manager, Manager of Provisioning Performance, and Manager of Strategic Risk Mitigation.

He subsequently worked at Sprint-Nextel and Verizon Business, where as a Senior Consultant and Program Management Executive he led cloud-based information security implementations and global integration deals. Clients included the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the World Bank, the Peace Corps, National Grid, and Procter & Gamble.

Fraser also consulted for Marriott International and co-founded Samepoint, a social-media analytics firm where he served as Chief Operating Officer. From December 2021 to July 2023, he served as Director of Business Development at Green Powered Technology (GPTech), where he advised on an $85.4 million U.S. Department of Energy grant. He currently serves as Advisor and Chairman of the Board of the Guyana Infrastructure Consortium.

Entry Into Public Life

Fraser entered local politics in 2014, describing himself at the time as a “political neophyte.” On May 6, 2014, he won the Purcellville mayoral race against Vice Mayor J. Keith Melton, 868 votes to 539 — the highest-turnout western Loudoun town election held that day. The win made him the first African-American to hold elected office as mayor in Loudoun County's history, a distinction noted by regional and international media.

He won re-election three more times: in 2016 over Joan Lehr, in 2018 over Chris Thompson (924–717), and in 2020 over Beverly Chiasson (55.2% to 44.7%). He chose not to seek a fifth term and delivered his eighth and final State of the Town address on October 14, 2022.

Record as Mayor

Federal and State Appointments

In August 2021, EPA Administrator Michael Regan appointed Fraser to the U.S. EPA Local Government Advisory Committee – Small Communities Advisory Subcommittee. He served on three committees of the National League of Cities: Energy, Environment and Natural Resources; Transportation and Infrastructure; and Unmanned Air Mobility. On May 9, 2022, Fraser was a White House guest for the Biden-Harris administration's broadband affordability announcement. In January 2024, Governor Glenn Youngkin appointed him to the Virginia Clean Energy Advisory Board.

Community Involvement

Beyond government service, Fraser has served as church treasurer and finance-committee member on a capital project, taught Sunday school, coached youth sports, and volunteered at a homeless shelter. He has credited his faith and family as the grounding forces behind his public-service philosophy.

Town Manager Appointment

On January 8, 2025, the Purcellville Town Council appointed Fraser Interim Town Manager by a 4–3 vote, succeeding Rick Bremseth. Mayor Chris Bertaut identified three priorities: reducing utility rates that had risen 16–18% under prior leadership, preserving Purcellville's small-town character, and ensuring continued fiscal stability. Fraser presented the FY2026 budget on March 19, 2025, conducted individual operational reviews with each department head, and oversaw a May 2025 Operational Review and Functional Assessment of the Purcellville Police Department.