Editor’s note:In anticipation of the November 5 election, The Herald sent out questionnaires to all of the candidates who will appear on the ballot. The answers that are included are the exact words that the candidates provided and have not been altered in any form or fashion. Candidates whose answers do not appear did not submit their questionnaires by the print deadline.
Botetourt County Sheriff
Question:What is your educational background?
Answer:Demolay Leadership Conference Graduate 1996 and 1997, James River High 2000, Naval/Air Force Police Academy 2001, Camp Bullis Ground Combat School 2001, Dabney S Lancaster AAS, Roanoke College BA
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer:Sole Proprietor of Stowell ATMs
Question:Why are you running for sheriff?
Answer:I am running for sheriff to remind everybody of the proper role of law enforcement and the fact that the office of sheriff belongs to the people; it is not a career achievement. There are serious deficiencies in how justice is administered based on money. I will end these injustices.
Question:In your own words, what does the sheriff do?
Answer:The sheriff is responsible for protecting the individual Constitutional Rights of each citizen. A sheriff is supposed to work for the people, even if it means opposing the Commonwealth or the federal government itself. Nothing is more important than the Constitutional Rights of all citizens.
Question:What do you think the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office is doing well?
Answer:Botetourt County is still one of the safest communities in the nation and the Sheriff’s Office has played a role in that.
Question:What are some areas of improvement for the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office?
Answer:The needs of the deputies and other personnel should be addressed properly. These are the professionals that I will rely on to accomplish my job. Since they are the experts on what is effective, I will be relying heavily on their opinions to craft my policies. I want everyone to look forward to and enjoy coming to work.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office?
Answer:1) I will effectively end the failed War on Drugs, implementing a Harm Reduction approach treating addicts as medical patients rather than as criminals.2) I will ensure that every person serving time in the jail has a plan for reintegrating into the community when they are released. The moment that someone is sentenced to jail they will be working on what to do with their life when they are released.3) I will use funds from my own salary as sheriff to develop and implement a transportation service for impaired drivers. This will actually keep impaired drivers off of the road rather than just catching people after the fact.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer:I will use the powers granted to me by The People to be an advocate for the Constitutional Rights of each citizen. I will give my individual attention to each person that I work with; employees and offenders alike. I want to genuinely solve problems, not just kick the can down the road or wait for some other bloated, impersonal state agency to get involved. I will work twice as hard as everyone else. All the planning and policy in the world will not matter without passionate human involvement. I will be a sheriff with a personal touch that can’t be found in a policy and that money could never buy.
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer: I graduated James River HS and attended VWCC and DSLCC.United States Marine.
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer: Master Deputy, Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office.
Question:Why are you running for sheriff?
Answer:I am running for sheriff because this is my home, this is where I was raised, where I attended public schools and I have dedicated my career of service. As a father of two small children I have a vested interest in assuring Botetourt County is the safest place to raise our families.
Question:In your own words, what does the sheriff do?
Answer:Provide public safety and run an efficient and effective Sheriff’s Office.
Question:What do you think the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office is doing well?
Answer: The Sheriff’s Office has been effective at minimizing crime and keeping the public safe.
Question:What are some areas of improvement for the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office?
Answer: More community engagement and outreach. Providing more advanced and continued education for the Department’s staff.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office?
Answer: Providing resource officers in each school. Establishing inmate work crew program.Working to address the opioid epidemic and drug abuse in our community.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
I have dedicated my adult life and career to serving the citizens of Botetourt County. As your Sheriff my responsibilities will be to prepare our department to protect you and your family, and to provide public safety into the future.
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer: Associate in Business Administration (Virginia Western Community College), Bachelor of Finance and Accounting (Radford University), Master of Business Administration (MBA, Averett University), and Graduate of University of Virginia National Criminal Justice Command College
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer: Senior Police Officer (Patrol), Field Training Officer, Major Crimes Investigator, Background/Recruiting Investigator, Patrol Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, Detective Lieutenant, Internal Affairs Investigator, Supervisor Records Division, Supervisor General Investigations, Supervisor Narcotics, Supervisor Crime Analysis, Budget Preparation and Forecasting, Officer of the Year, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award
Regional Task Force Collaboration and Participation: Drug Enforcement Task Force (DEA), High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), Post Opioid Response Team (PORT), Blue Ridge Partnership for Workplace Violence Prevention (BRPWVP), Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SOVA ICAC), Regional Fraud Investigators, and Crisis Intervention Team Assessment Center (CITAC)
I also have 15 Years of private business administration.
Question:Why are you running for sheriff?
Answer: Having lived in Botetourt County and raised my two daughters here, I have seen Botetourt County continue to grow at a significant rate. After visiting with many people around the county, it was clear a large majority of citizens were desiring positive changes in the Sheriff’s Office and a new progressive outlook to combat rising criminal activity. While the men and women at the Sheriff’s Office presently do a great job, it is time to take the department into a different direction. A direction that is more proactive to fighting the increased crime we are facing today. Crime here in Botetourt County continues to rise. After heartfelt consideration and visiting with a great deal of folks here, including Sheriff Sprinkle, I decided to seek the office for sheriff in hopes that I can bring a wealth of experience, transparency and foresight to Botetourt County.
Question:In your own words, what does the sheriff do?
Answer:The sheriff performs a role as the chief law enforcement officer in the county. He is responsible for overseeing the department in charge of protecting people and property, maintaining order, court services as well as a regional jail. It is the duty of the sheriff to assure for the safety of all residents and businesses within the entire county and enforcement of local and state codes and ordinances. Duties such as administration, fiscal forecasting, staffing, budgeting, community relations and assuring a skilled well-trained staff are but a few of the many responsibilities a sheriff must perform daily to effectively protect and serve the community as well as every employee of the Sheriff’s Office.
Question:What do you think the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office is doing well?
I believe the Sheriff’s Office is currently doing a good job reacting to the needs at hand of Botetourt County residents.
Question:What are some areas of improvement for the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office?
Answer:I believe the Sheriff’s Office can significantly improve their involvement in the community, addressing growing needs and becoming more proactive in their involvement throughout the entire county. The Sheriff’s Office must become forward thinking, transparent and begin working closer with the community to acknowledge the growing diversification of needs and expectations caused by the increase of metropolitan influence throughout the county.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office?
Answer:Reduction of Drugs: The manufacturing, trafficking and chemical dependency of illegal drugs continue to be a tremendous problem and a growing concern to all communities.
The excessive number of overdoses, overdose deaths and rise in property loss incidents, as people turn to crime to support their drug habit, are rising faster than ever. We must aggressively confront and attack the drug problems in Botetourt County, including the nationwide ongoing epidemic of opioid and fentanyl abuse. Increasing trends of cocaine and methamphetamine made in our county or the crystal form brought in from Mexico must be aggressively addressed through collaboration and participation with regional, state and federal resources and task forces.
I will concentrate efforts on education, treatment, and enforcement and will work together effectively with other law enforcement agencies, education officials, health care providers, all first responders and non-profit advocacy groups to help reduce the use of narcotics and other dangerous drugs in our county. We must work closely with our neighboring jurisdictions to address these issues.
I want to enhance the Narcotics Division by increasing personnel and regional and state task force involvement. Our focus will be on the high traffic areas of the county and concentrate on drug dealers and drug interdiction. By focusing on the dealers and reducing availability to users, property crimes and serious, violent assault crimes can be significantly reduced since these crimes are often committed by these users. While task force involvement would focus on the dealers, a traditional Narcotics Unit would continue to focus on dismantling Botetourt County’s drug abusers.
Increased Community Involvement: I believe in and will encourage all the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office to walk with me and become involved with all citizens, organizations and businesses they come into contact with throughout the county. Being involved in the community means building relationships. Relationships are the very things that bridge the gap between barriers and understanding the needs of every member of our community.
In addition, I will encourage all my constituents to foster relationships with other agencies and stakeholders that surround Botetourt County. By forging a relationship between these partners through mutual interest and the common goal of protecting our communities, we will create relationships that will ultimately benefit our community today and well into the future of our children. The Sheriff’s Office must foster collaboration with neighboring jurisdictions and state and federal agencies.
Community involvement is about: finding your passion and stepping into it. My passion is in working with the entire community to create opportunities for increased safety, awareness and prevention involving all our children, teens, adults and businesses.
Botetourt continues to grow and it is imperative that the Sheriff’s Office be proactive and not reactive in addressing the future needs of the entire county. As our communities continue to grow and change, so must we as first responders. I believe it is imperative that we have a well-trained, well-equipped and physically and mentally healthy department. Taking care of our men and women of the Sheriff’s Office is of the utmost importance and will allow them to become the foundation for our community.
Training: As new challenges present themselves, law enforcement is still struggling and beginning to realize the way things have always been done is notthe way they can be done now or in the future. We must adapt and accept change. I will work toward an integration between law enforcement and higher education. I want to integrate education more effectively with the training and service needs of the men and women in the department. By cooperatively identifying current and future needs of the department and integrating higher education we will develop the necessary tools to address emerging challenges. I will use growing technology to help foster more affective training.
The future will create new training needs not currently standard in police training academies. The use of new developments in technology will create a need for investigators and deputies who can better deal with the trending criminal uses of these technologies. The volume of financial crimes committed through computer hacking and identity theft will increase annually. I will make training available to prepare our deputies to deal with technology-based crimes which are on the rise in every community.
In addition to education in training, there must be mandatory continued training emphasis on responding to persons in crisis, the mentally ill and impaired as well as active threats against our communities. Our deputies are called upon routinely to assist individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. An estimated 7 to 10 percent of police-citizen interactions involve a citizen with some type of mental health disorder. It is more likely to use force during these interactions, increasing the risk of harm for both our deputies and the individual in crisis. Due to the rise in mental health issues, I will establish specific policies and procedures and provide training to deputies and communicators to address this issue and assure safety to them as well as our citizens. Training through Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) is a crucial tool for deputies to possess as well as critical incident responses.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer:As sheriff, I will build an effective leadership team who shares a high level of commitment to their position and every employee will be treated with the highest respect and commitment. Whether it is the citizens of Botetourt County or the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office that serve with me, I will provide a fair and impartial department regardless of race, religion, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, or opinion and free of all political influence.
I have always worked well with all segments of society and ask that you consider my experience, leadership, education, training, and proven history of positive accomplishments in and outside of law enforcement as the foundation for providing the highest quality service to Botetourt County. I believe a well-trained, well-equipped and well-led Sheriff’s Office will mean safer communities, a safer county, and a more efficient Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office.
Commonwealth’s Attorney
Question:What is your educational background?
Answer: I graduated from the George Mason University School of Law in 1989 and sat for and passed the Virginia State Bar exam in October of that year.
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer:I’m a prosecutor and have been since 1996. Prior to that I was a lawyer in private practice.
Question:Why are you running to be Botetourt’s Commonwealth’s Attorney?
Answer: I have 23 years of experience as a prosecutor including the past 13 years in the Botetourt Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office. Since February 1, 2018, I’ve been honored to be the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Botetourt. I love Botetourt and enjoying serving the county and working with our excellent Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies.
Question:In your own words, what does a commonwealth’s attorney do?
Answer: The Commonwealth Attorney’s office prosecutes criminal and traffic cases and advises law enforcement regarding investigations and prosecutions. Our office assists crime victims and witnesses, and works to achieve just outcomes. Our office is also available as a community resource on issues of crime prevention and in addressing other community issues.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the office?
Answer:To maintain our office’s high standards for professionalism, fairness and effective prosecution; to establish a Drug Treatment Court program; and to expand community engagement.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer: My experience as a prosecutor and as a Botetourt County prosecutor and commitment to serving Botetourt.
Botetourt County Treasurer
Question:What is your educational background?
Answer:Master Governmental Treasurer designation through the University of Virginia, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service and School of Continuing and Professional Studies
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer:Botetourt County Treasurer
Question:Why are you running to be Botetourt County Treasure?
Answer: It has been an honor and privilege to serve as the Botetourt County Treasurer since 2012. If I am re-elected as the Botetourt County Treasurer, I pledge to treat all taxpayers fairly and equally, and to act responsibly for the custody, care, and guardianship of county funds.
Question:In your own words, what does a county treasurer do?
Answer: The office of Treasurer is a constitutional office that does not make policy but is responsible for enforcement of policy. The Treasurer’s duties include: the receipt and collection of all county revenue, the receipt of state funds, the appropriate accounting for and disbursement of revenue, and investment and safekeeping of revenue.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the office?
Answer: 1) Carry out all the duties of the Treasurer to the very best of my ability;2) Treat all constituents equitably and with respect;3)Continually strive to increase office and procedural efficiencies to the benefit of the taxpayers.
Botetourt County Commissioner of the Revenue
Question:What is your educational background?
Answer:I attended Botetourt County public schools: Colonial Elementary, Read Mountain Middle, Lord Botetourt High School, and BTEC (Botetourt Technical Education Center). After graduation from high school I attended Virginia Western Community College where I earned two associate degrees and Old Dominion University where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Marketing.
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer: For the last several years I have been a Realtor/Broker and am currently the Botetourt branch office manager with MKB, Realtors.
Question:Why are you running to be Botetourt County Commissioner of the Revenue?
Answer: Botetourt is home for me. This is where I was raised, married, and this is where my wife Juliana and I are raising their two children. With a background in business, industry, and real estate, I have a unique perspective to serve the community that I call home.
Question:In your own words, what does a county commissioner of the revenue do?
Answer:The Commissioner of Revenue is the administrator of local taxes and relief programs for the county. This includes real estate, personal property, business licenses, meals, lodging, and more. A simplified answer is this office is the customer service of local taxes.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the office?
Answer:For the last eight years Rodney Spickard and his staff has done a great job serving Botetourt County. I plan to continue the quality and friendly service that we have come to expect. There is always room for improvement, so I am also looking for ways to simplify and ease the burden on tax payers. I will be available and actively involved to help the citizens of Botetourt any way I can.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer: As a lifelong Botetourt resident, husband, and father, I have a vested interest in Botetourt County. If you want a conservative Republican that will be accountable to the public and transparent to tax payers, then I’m your best choice for Commissioner of Revenue. I’m committed to fight for tax payers, support economic opportunity, stand up for individual liberty, and serve the great people of Botetourt County. Vote for Chris Booth on November 5.
Botetourt County Board of Supervisors for the Blue Ridge District
Billy Martin
Botetourt County Board of Supervisors for the Valley District
Dr. Mac Scothorn
Botetourt County Board of Supervisors for the Fincastle District
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer:Botetourt County provided my elementary through high school education. After graduating from Lord Botetourt, I continued my education at Virginia Tech majoring in Animal Science. From there I attended the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine to achieve a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer:I am a practicing veterinarian.
Question:Why are you running for the Board of Supervisors?
Answer:I grew up in Botetourt County, have been a business owner and practicing veterinarian here for over 30 years. I believe it is necessary to give back time and effort to help our county continue to be a fantastic place to live, work and raise a family.
Question:In your own words, what does the Board of Supervisors do?
Answer:The Board of Supervisors is the governing body of the county, responsible for setting budget and policy. Just as important, if not more, a supervisor should listen and respond to citizen concerns, respect taxpayer dollars and represent the county well.
Question: What do you think the Board of Supervisors is doing well?
Answer: I believe the sitting board is very conscious of their responsibility to help the citizens feel represented. I see the current board having fiscal responsibility, education, public safety and responsible economic development as priorities. Each board member, in my opinion, takes their job as supervisor very seriously. We care deeply about the success of Botetourt and the quality of life for its citizens.
Question:What are some areas of improvement for the Board of Supervisors?
Answer: While I believe the board gives great effort to be effective, we can always strive to listen, learn and communicate better.
Question: What are your top three priorities for the Fincastle District?
Answer:As the supervisor representing the Fincastle District, I have many priorities. The top three on my list today are developing agricultural opportunities, education with emphasis on career development – technical and STEM, and thirdly, maintaining a rural environment while considering economic development opportunities in the future.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the county?
Answer:There are many priorities for the county but I would list public safety, responsible economic development and maintaining a reasonable tax rate as the top three at this time.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer:I am proud to be a Botetourt County native and currently sit on the Board of Supervisors representing the Fincastle District. I am very proud to have been educated here, operated a business here and raised my family here. I believe I understand where our county has been and the bright future ahead. My personal and professional experience has prepared me to listen and work. I will use a conservative, common sense approach to help manage the business of Botetourt County. I would appreciate your support. Thank you.
Botetourt County School Board for the Blue Ridge District
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer: I am a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer: I am employed by Anthem Inc. as an Account Management Executive, Individual Medicare Sales, Sales Performance & Programs. I engage and support our Commercial groups and Labor & Trust funds to structure educational resources to help their employees and members learn about Medicare.
Question:Why are you running for the School Board:
Answer:I am seeking re-election to the School Board to continue the great progress we have made and to provide leadership and stability to what will be a newer Board in January 2020.
Question:In your own words, what does the School Board do?
Answer:The School Board has three main responsibilities: budget, personnel, and policy. Our entire Board serves as our Budget Committee. We are responsible for ultimately approving a budget that is sent to our Board of Supervisors to become part of the budget for Botetourt County. We review, consider, and provide approval of all personnel changes within the system and we hired our current Superintendent. While most of our policies come from the Virginia School Boards Association, we create and approve policies unique to Botetourt County Public Schools.
Question:What do you think the School Board is doing well?
Answer: Things that you think the school division is doing well: Devotion to the success of each student is evident in all we do. From curriculum rigor, to Industry Certification programs, to Dual Enrollment opportunities, to active clubs, to successful sports programs, to two Governor’s Schools, and a thriving arts program, our students are provided many challenging opportunities to learn and grow. We have managed conservative budgets and are on track to complete our salary correction for our employees. Our pursuit of fiscal savings has been realized through our Energy Efficiency contract that has resulted in first year savings of $432,000 and will continue for years to come.
Question:What are some areas for improvement for the School Board?
Answer:We need a larger BTEC to provide more opportunities for more students to complete more Industry Certification and Dual Enrollment courses. We need a process and budget to support our teachers to pursue and obtain advanced degrees in subject content to support our growing Dual Enrollment offerings. We need to pursue some form of alternate education for at-risk students.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the Blue Ridge District?
Answer: 1) supporting our new Superintendent; 2) moving us to a site-based line item budget model; 3) opening our new Colonial Elementary School.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the county?
Answer:1) continue our excellent relationship; 2) provide funding for a School Resource Officer in each of our schools (we now have SROs in our high and middle schools); 3) continue to partner with our school system to promote economic development to create jobs for our students and families.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer:I am the only candidate with 12 years of active experience on our School Board. In January 2020, we will have two new members. It takes a fair amount of time to really learn about our system and the role of a School Board member and how our system works. My experience is a vital component in our ability to move forward successfully. My children have been educated at Colonial Elementary, Read Mountain Middle, and Lord Botetourt High. I know our system as a parent first and as a School Board member. These attributes and my experience are very important and make me the only candidate who truly understands our system. Finally, I kept my promise and delivered a new school to Blue Ridge.
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer:Bachelor’s Degree – Business Management, Criminal Justice, and Accounting – Liberty University and Master’s Degree – Management & Leadership – Liberty University
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer:Accountant for Member One Federal Credit Union
Question:Why are you running for the School Board:
Answer:To bring positive change to the School System
Question:In your own words, what does the School Board do?
Answer:Oversees the work of the school system, approves new initiatives, approves yearly budget, administration staffing.
Question:What do you think the School Board is doing well?
Answer:I feel that the school division had done a good job of introducing new technology in the schools.
Question:What are some areas for improvement for the School Board?
Answer:School maintenance, school security, and transparency
Question:What are your top three priorities for the Blue Ridge District?
Answer:1)Ensuring that the students and parents have a voice.2)Ensuring that the Blue Ridge District gets the needed attention it deserves.3)Ensuring that our tax dollars are used properly.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the county?
Answers:1) Make school maintenance a priority and assure that needed repairs are expedited. 2) Make school safety a top priority and update security measures. 3) Putting those that matter most, the students and parents, first.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer: I entered this race because as a parent I have experienced and seen firsthand that as a county and as a school system, we are faced with many challenges. However, I am excited about what the future holds and the opportunity to be a part of it. I have a varied and unique background working in both finance and law enforcement. As an accountant and someone who has worked in finance for many years, I feel that I am equipped to help the school system through the economic hurdles we currently face. As a former deputy sheriff, I feel that I can lend a unique perspective in relation to school security. I firmly believe that with your help we can truly make our schools better and be an example to other school systems. We have extraordinary teachers and school administrators who love our students and want to see them grow and flourish. Our students deserve the very best that we can offer! I am tired of seeing the same solutions be applied to same problems repeatedly, expecting to see different results. One glaring example is school maintenance. The citizens of Botetourt County have been promised time and time again that school maintenance will be a priority. However, we have the same maintenance issues we have had for the past 10+ years. I feel that we need new ideas and a new direction to reach the full potential that we have. I want to work with Dr. Chen and the current board representatives to make our schools better than ever. So I humbly ask for your support on November 5. Because UNITED we can truly build a better Botetourt!
Botetourt County School Board for the Valley District
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer: Penn State University, Economics
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer: General Manager Gexpro, electrical equipment supplier
Question:Why are you running for the School Board:
Answer: I have been actively involved with the school system for over a decade in many different capacities and I believe I can help to manage our county resources and partner with the Board of Supervisors. I want to ensure that the School system is preparing our students and making them productive successful citizens. I want this school system to become a model for others in the area and the state.
Question:In your own words, what does the School Board do?
Answer:
The School Board is the governing body of the school district. They set school policy and provide guidance to the operations of the schools. The School Board is responsible for hiring the Superintendent who is charged with executing the policies and guidance. The School Board also has the role of being the representative of the community for which they server. They are expected to base their guidance and decision making on information they gather on school related topics. The School Board should also have a teaching role in the community. They should provide information to the community of the work being done by the Board and throughout the school system.
Question:What do you think the School Board is doing well?
Answer: Hiring the new Superintendent. Dr Chen is an outstanding choice based on her experience and the work she has done so far demonstrates her understanding of the needs of this school system.
Question:What are some areas for improvement for the School Board?
Answer: Assessing the current state of all BCPS building and developing a plan to address the need for maintenance and possible replacement going forward. Maintaining a competitive academic environment for everyone. We need to make sure those students wanting to continue to college are prepared to succeed. In addition, we should also address the needs of student who are not college bound ensuring they have the skills needed to find good jobs that they can earn a good living.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the Valley District?
Answer: Ensure our School system prepares all students to be productive successful citizens. Students who want to pursue higher education need to be challenged and given a curriculum that will prepare them to be successful in a vast and competitive higher education environment. We must also be aware of and prepare students who are not inclined to pursue a college or a graduate degree. These students should be given opportunities to learn trade skills and challenged so that they may be successfully employed after graduation. In both situations our goal should be to provide the best foundation to every student to develop their talents and use them to become productive citizens equipped to be full participants in our local, state and national economies.
Actively manage our county resources and partner with the Board of Supervisors. I believe we need to work more closely with the Board of Supervisors and the County Administrator to improve our school system and prepare it for challenges we will face in the coming years. I will work to help them understand the concerns of parents with students in our schools and the teachers who are responsible for educating them.
Develop a long-range plan to make education a foundation for growth in our county. To improve and prepare for the challenges we face in the coming years we must assess our status. This should be comprehensive to include curriculum, infrastructure, transportation, salaries and benefits, etc. Once completed a plan needs to be developed based on goals set for the school district. This plan should be a road map of how to achieve the goals and should have a timeframe of 3, 5 or 10 years. This could then become a measurement for success in each year thereafter.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the county?
Answer: My top priorities for the county all relate to making our school system a top tier system recognized state and nationwide that produces well educated productive successful citizens who are ready to enter the workforce and willing to challenge themselves to make their county the best it can be. I seek to communicate regularly with the Board of Supervisors helping them to understand the needs of the school system while understanding the constraints on resources and helping to make strategic decisions that will help both the students and citizens of Botetourt County.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer: I moved to Botetourt over a decade ago with my young family seeking a better quality of life. Our decision to land in Botetourt was largely based on our assessment of the schools and our understanding that this was a good school system with a lot of potential to grow and be great. Over the past eleven years I have watched each of my three sons progress from elementary school, through middle school and into high school. I participated as much as possible from simple parent activities to standing up and taking on leadership roles in PTA and on committees. I am proud of my two sons who graduated from Lord Botetourt and are now seeking to further their education in college. I listened to my sons and my wife talk about different challenges they faced in our schools, and I am confident I can help our School Board make the necessary changes that will improve the education we deliver to these students, make it wonderful place for teachers to do what they love and make Botetourt County an attractive place for other people to want to come and raise their young families. This will improve the quality of life for all citizens of the county and will help ensure a continued great future for us all.
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer: I am a 2010 graduate of William Byrd High School.
Question: What do you do for a living?
Answer: I am a licensed agent working with Family Heritage Life Insurance Company of America. We offer supplemental insurance plans covering a wide range of illnesses such as cancer, heart attack and stroke, intensive care, and accidents. I also work several evenings a week for Oakey’s Funeral Service.
Question: Why are you running for the School Board:
Answer: I am running for School Board because I believe you deserve a representative who is in tune with the citizens of the district, has the time to devote to adequately serving in that capacity, and will work hard to fight to ensure that your tax dollars will be spent wisely.
Question: In your own words, what does the School Board do?
Answer: The School Board works to approve the school system’s yearly budget, assist the superintendent in laying out a plan which oversees the work of each school, and works closely with central office staff and department heads.
Question: What do you think the School Board is doing well?
Answer: Botetourt County has done really well with integrating technology into the classroom. Our teachers and students are using Chromebooks in their day-to-day activities. I also believe that our teachers are doing a fantastic job. We’ve got amazing talent teaching our students, and we should be proud of that. Our sports programs continue to make us proud, and we can certainly be proud of the programs offered at BTEC which prepare our students for a great career.
Question: What are some areas for improvement for the School Board?
Answer: There is always a need for improvement. I don’t think we should ever think that “we’ve arrived” and are finished looking for new ways to better ourselves. I would like to see us look for even more programs to offer through BTEC, make sure that our security measures are up to date, and that our schools get the maintenance that they need on a regular basis, while still looking out for the taxpayer. Our enrollment numbers have declined over the last decade or so, and I believe that we need to continue to look for new ways to attract families to Botetourt County. I will happily work along with my fellow School Board members, the Board of Supervisors, and our General Assembly leaders to make sure that we are proactive in making Botetourt County the best place to live, work and raise a family.
Question: What are your top three priorities for the Valley District?
Answer: 1) Being accessible. 2) Making sure that the schools within the Valley District are getting regular maintenance, and that teachers and students have a voice on the School Board 3) Being fiscally responsible with our tax dollars.
Question: What are your top three priorities for the county?
Answer: My top three priorities are really the same at the county level as they are for the Valley District. 1) Making sure that schools receive regular maintenance 2) Making school security a top priority 3) Making sure that we are doing everything possible to ensure that once our students graduate that they are prepared for their higher education, or are ready to enter a successful trade.
Question: What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer: I’m running for School Board because I believe that we can continue to make Botetourt a great place to raise a family. Having served on various local boards in the past, I feel as though I have experience working with other government agencies, and elected officials that will serve our county well. I am willing to put in the hours to make sure that the citizens of the Valley District are well represented. I am proud to be running on a platform which includes the need to be accessible, an advocate for our parents, teachers, and students, updating our school security measures, and protecting our tax dollars. I believe that we can attract more families to the area, and grow our enrollment numbers. I believe that we can continue on the progress that we’ve made by integrating more technology in the classroom, and I believe that we can make improvements on our infrastructure. I pledge to an active member on the board, and a forward thinker. I will strive to be a consensus builder, and will look for ways to build strong partnerships with my colleagues. I am proud to have the support of Botetourt leaders such as Donald Helms, Chris Booth, Troutville Mayor David Horton, and countless other great citizens that I’ve met while going door to door. I would be honored to have your support on November 5 as you cast your ballot.
Botetourt County School Board for Fincastle District
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer: Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance – Radford University
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer: Employee Benefits Manager – American HealthCare
Question:Why are you running for the School Board?
Answer: I am running for the School Board because I have a vested interest in making our school system the best it can be. My wife is a teacher in the county, and we have a daughter that will be in our schools in the near future. Secondly, as a taxpayer, I want to make sure our community’s tax dollars are used in the most efficient way possible and eliminate any use of taxpayer funds that do not directly benefit our students.
Question:In your own words, what does the School Board do?
Answer: The School Board is elected to represent the members of the community to ensure that the school’s leadership is acting on their behalf. The School Board should work with school management and the Board of Supervisors to develop and execute a budget for the school system. The School Board is also responsible for all oversight of the school district and ensuring the community’s tax funds are being effectively and appropriately used.
Question:What do you think the School Board is doing well?
Answer: I believe our school system is doing a great job educating our students and providing an exceptional group of teachers and staff to educate our students. The division is also experiencing achievements in technical training and incorporating technology into education, but there is still room for advancement in both of these areas.
Question:What are some areas for improvement for the School Board?
Answer: Our division’s largest areas for improvement are school buildings, buses, school safety, classroom technology, and operational efficiencies.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the Fincastle District?
Answer: 1)Transparency – There is no reason for the School Board to continue to avoid and downplay the issues within the district. It would be my goal to be honest with the community and work together to overcome the challenges we are facing.2)Respect Taxpayers – I want to be able to tell the members of my district with integrity that every dollar that is being spent on our schools is benefiting our students’ education and not some other unrelated bureaucratic function. 3)Districting – Address school district lines that negatively affect families in certain areas.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the county?
Answer: 1) School Safety – There is nothing as important as making sure our students are safe while at school. I will work to enhance the long outdated current safety practices in place with new programs that will provide our children with proper safety and security.2) School Occupancy – Work to develop a solution to the severe school occupancy imbalance. We currently have multiple schools that are around the 50 percent occupancy level and one school that is well over 100 percent occupancy. It is critical for the future success of our schools that we address this issue to keep our school system financially stable and provide our students with the best learning environment.3) Technical Training and Gifted Program – While our schools do currently have some great technical training programs, there is much room for expansion into areas such as healthcare, which is one of the largest growing industries in our region. Our schools are also quickly falling behind in the area of gifted programs. It is critical we invest in this area to get our school’s programs on pace with other divisions in our area.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer: I am the only candidate with extensive experience in business leadership and successfully developing and executing a budget. As I stated above, the School Board’s primary responsibilities are to manage the school’s leadership and oversee the budget process. For these duties, business management and finance experience are indisputably the most valuable qualifications of a candidate. I can also assure voters that I have no conflicts of interest that will affect my decisions on the board. I believe having two siblings on a five-member school board would present a serious conflict of interests that would prevent those members from solely representing their districts best interest.
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer: Bachelor of Science – Biochemistry (Virginia Tech), Master of Public Health – Environmental and Occupational Health (The George Washington University), and Doctorate of Philosophy – Pharmacology and Toxicology (Medical College of Virginia)
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer:Scientific Pharmaceutical Consultant
Question:Why are you running for the School Board?
Answer: I am running for the School Board seat in the Fincastle District because I believe that a well-balanced education is the greatest gift a child can receive. I also believe that it is our duty as citizens to make sure that the public school system provides this gift successfully to every student.
Question:In your own words, what does the School Board do?
Answer: The biggest role of the School Board is to set policy, which means determining the overall direction and priorities for the school division. This School Board oversight requires strategic planning and long-term ideas, it is not appropriate to work “in the weeds” of daily operations. The high-level management is a lot like what a Board of Directors would do for a company. For example, a board doesn’t dictate how the engineers should make a new engine for Ford, just that a new fuel-efficient better engine should be made. A School Board doesn’t tell teachers how to teach but works with the superintendent to set the direction. Strategic planning requires knowing not only the laws which dictate requirements, but also what the community, parents, superintendent and teachers see as needs for students. Finally, the School Board approves the superintendent’s budget request which goes to the Board of Supervisors (BOS) for funding. This means that the School Board must be able to understand a line item budget and justify spending not only to the BOS but to the taxpayers.
Question:What do you think the School Board is doing well?
Answer: I think the school division is doing a good job offering a diverse selection of courses and opportunities for our students. There are career-readiness classes and certifications provided at BTEC for students who do not wish to go to a four-year college. But for the college-bound students, there are in-school advanced classes, two Governor Schools and collaborations with Virginia Western. At the elementary and middle school levels there are focused efforts to provide strong and exciting foundations for students.
Question:What are some areas for improvement for the School Board?
Answers:As in any organization, there are always opportunities for improvement. While I believe, and state statistics support my opinion, that purely from an educational perspective our school division is performing at an above average level, we must not become complacent. We have to continue to work hard to offer improved technology, courses and opportunities. We should strengthen community-industry partnerships for career-readiness training or internships; we also have to seek collaboration with academic institutions like the Virginia Tech Research Center while continuing strong ties with Virginia Western Community College. There must be an emphasis on developing a strategic plan that includes capital improvements because long-term planning seems to be a big gap. And finally, we need to build stronger school security plans that are consistently used across all of the schools. Previously, I have been very closely involved in this evaluation and implementation process, starting from scratch with a school that had no security. Luckily, we do not need to start from scratch but I am prepared to work hard on improving what we do have in Botetourt
Question:What are your top three priorities for the Fincastle District?
Answer: I have three priorities for the Fincastle District that are about communication to support educational needs, strong budget management and strategic planning that includes our district’s needs. First, I want to establish easy and transparent communication with the community. On the board, I will lead discussion based on facts and I will encourage continuing work with the supervisors; but to be effective, I really want to hear from citizens. My decisions will be based on the best interests for our children and feedback from parents, grandparents and teachers. So I will make myself available to people by phone, email, in-person meetings – whatever it takes to have a chance to address ideas and concerns. Second, I will honor my obligation of fiscal conservancy to the taxpayers. Regardless of whether you have children or grandchildren in the school system, you have a vested interest in how the schools manage funding to prepare these young people for the future. I will ask tough questions to justify funding requests but when it is clear that additional funding is needed to improve educations, I will fight for every dollar. I have experience as a School Board Budget Committee Chair, balancing available funds with the needs of the school system and I look forward to doing that for the Fincastle District. Third, I will work very hard to update a strategic plan for educational programs that keep us advancing and successful. This will include conversations about best serving the people in this district because we have both rural areas and subdivisions that each have to receive balanced attention because sometimes the needs are different. It also must include awareness of county planning which is why I attend Board of Supervisors meetings and have individual conversations with the supervisors and county staff to understand issues arising and how they might impact our schools. I have a lot of experience that makes me confident that I will represent the Fincastle District fairly and knowledgably. But most importantly, I have strong community ties and a deep desire to do what is best for our children so that they have successful, happy futures.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the county?
Answer: I have three priorities for Botetourt County. They include preserving our natural resources, promoting agriculture and empowering communities. Each of these goals link together and I understand that on the surface they sound like buzzwords that are used without true meaning. Allow me to explain the meaning they have to me. Our natural resources are no secret because everyone knows we have generous access to rivers, creeks, mountains, open spaces and dark skies. I would like to influence the economic development plans for the county to preserve these gifts from nature. I foresee this linking with education because I would like to encourage that educational programs take advantage by completing occasional science projects in a God-given outdoor laboratory. Second, I would strengthen the county efforts to promote and support agriculture, agribusiness and agritourism. This goes hand-in-hand with my ideal of environmental conservation and creating opportunities for our community to enjoy outdoor activities. It also sustains Botetourt’s roots in farming while advancing us into the future by including more options than less traditional ones like the dairy and crop farm I grew up knowing and loving. And ultimately, by including agriculture education in our school system, we are preparing students to keep or start their own farms or further their education in a vast number of agriculture fields that will allow them to support their own families in Botetourt with a career they desire. My third priority is empowering communities. I am witnessing a breakdown of community support for elderly neighbors, working parents and many other sectors. This goal will have to be achieved by joining forces with like-minded citizens, not from a new local government initiative. Common goals within a community can be identified from work similar to the Community Health Plan Steering Committee of which I am a member. It helps us to identify needs in our area and band together as a group to make a positive change like finding solutions to Aging-in-Place or establishing childcare for working families before and after school.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer:The Fincastle District should vote for me because I am the most qualified candidate with the best defined ideas. I have been on a School Board before so I already know the state laws we need to apply in local policy, the importance of oversight of a line-item budget and working successfully with a new superintendent. I have a deep understanding of education since I have been in the spectrum from teaching college courses to developing and teaching curriculum to elementary and middle school students. Finally, I want to have frequent, transparent and honest conversations with people about what they love or dislike in the school system and what we can do about it together.
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer: I earned a Master of Education Degree from Lynchburg College.
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer: I am a Project Coordinator and Professional Development Leader at the Virginia Department of Education Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech.
Question:Why are you running for the School Board:
Answer:I believe the School Board needs varying perspectives. I am the only candidate with experience as a professional educator. I believe this to be an important asset for our School Board, as well as the students, teachers, and parents of Botetourt County.
Question:In your own words, what does the School Board do?
Answer: The top three responsibilities of a Virginia school board are: 1) To adopt an annual budget that provides for staffing, acquisition of materials/equipment, transportation, and building maintenance. Additionally, the School Board should accurately account for and oversee the dispersal of funds in accordance with the adopted budget. 2) To develop and adopt policies that guide the operation of Botetourt County Public Schools. 3) To recruit, hire, and evaluate the superintendent. • In addition to, School Board members establish and communicate a clear mission and strategic plan for the school division while acting as liaisons with various constituencies to receive input and gather support for education in Botetourt County.
Question:What do you think the School Board is doing well?
Answers: There are a number of positive things occurring in Botetourt County Public Schools. The division is always striving for continued improvement. More specifically, I believe the School Board is doing extremely well with regard to: • Career and technical education / industrial certifications, • community partnerships, • recruitment and retention of qualified teachers and administrators, • providing a safe learning environment for our students and staff, • the use of data to determine student and educator learning needs, • and the identification of shared goals for student and educator learning.
Question:What are some areas for improvement for the School Board?
Answer:As a division, we need to continue working to improve reading and writing skills for our students with disabilities. I would also like to see more equity among class offerings at James River and Lord Botetourt High Schools.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the Fincastle District?
Answer: The top three priorities for the Fincastle District and the county are 1) collaboration among all stakeholders 2) transparency and 3) a better balance among the opportunities for our two high schools. I believe these objectives may be viewed as steps in an overall process for the betterment of the system, and the students it serves. If all stakeholders come together, working in a spirit of collaboration, I believe transparency and equity among schools will follow as natural byproducts.
Question:What are your top three priorities for the county?
Answer: 1) I believe in building on the tradition of collaboration, communication, and open dialogue among all stakeholders to continue the work of ensuring that our schools remain on the cutting edge of best practices in education. 2) I would be honored to be part of the continuous effort of moving our county forward by preparing our students to be competitive in college, the workforce, or the military. It is vitally important that they have the skills they need to become productive citizens and, if they so choose, to stay here in Botetourt County. 3) As a county, challenges concerning growth, changes in curriculum, staffing, and parental involvement need to be addressed through genuine collaboration.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer: I have 23 years of educational experience. Currently, I work in the field of education for the Virginia Department of Education. On any given day, I am in a classroom working with teachers and students, planning with a principal, or working alongside central office personnel. My work affords me the opportunity to work in many school systems with everyone from a paraeducator to the superintendent. Through my work, I have gained an in-depth understanding of how individual schools and school systems operate in the Commonwealth. I am proud of the 15 years I spent as a teacher at James River High School. In fact– since my teaching career began in 1996 as a long-term substitute teacher at Lord Botetourt High School– my husband and I have been actively involved in building community. My husband has been a Botetourt County deputy for 16 years. My son has attended Botetourt County Public Schools for the entirety of his school career. I view serving on the Botetourt County School Board as yet another opportunity to give back to a community I hold very dear. If elected, it would be my honor to serve the Fincastle District in this way.
Town of Troutville
There are three seats available.
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer: I graduated from high school and attended college classes in accounting and law.
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer: I am currently retired after working for 26 years in the law firm of Wiegandt and Doubles, P.C. I was the Commissioner of Accounts clerk and bookkeeper.
Question: Why are you running for the Troutville Town Council:
Answer: I want to follow in the footsteps of my sister, Helen Tippie, who was on the town council for many years. I want to support and help the Town of Troutville and its citizens to continue to be a wonderful place to live.
Question: In your own words, what does a town council do?
Answer: The town council does the following: Answers complaints regarding water bills, barking dogs, burned out street lights and all other questions from the town’s citizens, hires personnel to care for the park, maintain the water system and water lines, sets fees for water bills, works with the county zoning commission to ensure their rules benefit the town, maintains the town hall and sets fees for its use.
Question: What do you think the Troutville Town Council is doing well?
Answer: I believe the town is doing a great job with its park maintenance. I feel strongly that the town council does a good job answering its citizens’ questions and with fixing the problems all small towns deal with.
Question: What are some areas of improvement for the Troutville Town Council?
Answer: The town needs to find ways to fill the empty buildings along Route 11. The town hall needs to be “spruced up.” For instance, the women’s bathroom door handle has been broken for a long time and needs repair. I would like to see a report/summary of Town Council meetings, business and decision published in The Fincastle Herald. I believe the town should implement automatic bank draft payments for its utility bills. The payments must now be delivered or mailed to the town hall. Automatic withdrawal would benefit all citizens who sign up for the service. I would like to see our town council involve private persons, town businesses and churches to decorate our town with flowers and or decorations as dictated by seasons or holidays. I would hope these private persons, churches and businesses would do this at no additional cost to the town.
Question:What are your top three priorities for Troutville?
Answer: 1) I want to encourage more residents to attend town meetings to air their concerns and to give fresh ideas which would help the town grow and prosper. 2) I would like to continue to support and encourage hikers on the Appalachian Trail to visit our town. 3) I would like to encourage the opening of a small coffee shop/dining place in the actual town. We need somewhere travelers, hikers and residents can purchase coffee or tea and have a snack or light meal at a reasonable price. We need a sit-down place where people can gather to enjoy companionship and food without having to go to eating places outside of our town.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer:
My family has a long history of helping others. My father-in-law, L. W. Corbett, was the Troutville fire chief for many years. My sister, Helen Tippie, was on the council and was vice mayor when she lived in Troutville. My mother, Alethea George, was a Botetourt County teacher who encouraged her students to be the best. All gave their time and talents to help others.
Being a wife, mother, and office worker did not leave time to be involved in public affairs. Now, as a retiree, I have the time and desire to help my town and fellow citizens. I want to follow in the footsteps of my family and help others.
I have the knowledge and ability to be of assistance to the council. I am a dedicated worker with the ability to help our town grow and prosper. I want Troutville to be a model for other small towns to follow.
Doris Camper
Henry John Cook Jr.
Harold Dean Paderick
Harry J. “Skeets” Ulrich
Town of Buchanan
There are two seats available.
Marlon Rickman
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer: James River High School Graduate 2004 andsome college with focus on Business Management & Administration 2015-2017
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer:United States Marine Corp. 2005-2015 (Four tours to Iraq and Afghanistan). Co-owner and operator of C&S Witt Creations, The Witt Stop, and The Anchorage House.
Question: Why are you running for the Buchanan Town Council:
Answer:It is my civic duty to promote growth and development for both the citizens and businesses of the Town of Buchanan.
Question: In your own words, what does a town council do?
Answer: Council determines the best use of the town taxpayer’s money to provide a certain quality of life, implement policies/ordinances to enforce quality of life within town limits. Council pushes for town staff to apply for grants which will help fill financial gaps while benefiting the town to help improve the Town of Buchanan.
Question: What do you think the Buchanan Town Council is doing well?
Answer: Reworking the town budget and shifting our focus on the future of the town. We have done a good job of maintaining the water treatment system and waste water treatment plant. Vice Mayor Manspile has been a very big asset in the water works corrections.
Question: What do you think the Buchanan Town Council is doing well?
Answer: Develop a marketing plan which will train the town staff on how to create a town website that is current and up todays social media standard, create a plan which will help draw potential visitors, residents and businesses to want to reside in or shop in Buchanan.
Question:What are your top three priorities for Buchanan?
Answer: Water treatment/waste water treatment improvements, promoting new businesses and industry, and improving gateways (ie: the signs coming in town) and improving areas of neglect (forcing property owners to maintain their properties, adding landscape to more than just Main Street, just to name a few) within town limits.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer:I moved back to my home town after retiring from the United States Marine Corp. to help grow and improve the Town of Buchanan in any way that I was able. By being on council, I have had the pleasure of following through on some of this growth and improvement for the town.
WM. James Kidd
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer: I began grade school in Charleston, W.Va., where I was born, and completed it in rural Dallas, Texas. Junior high was in Langhorne Manor and Andalusia, Pa., and Ridgewood, N.J., where I completed high school. I have a Bachelor of Science in Wood Technology from Colorado State University, completed the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute of Organization Management and many continuing education courses relative to my career.
Question: What do you do for a living?
Answer: I have spent most of my career in the forest products industry working for a retail lumberman’s and tourism promotion trade associations as a regional/district manager, and also ran a small saw millers group during a period of modernization and substantial growth.
Question: Why are you running for the Buchanan Town Council:
Answer: The day before registration ended there were two seats open and one candidate. I felt I could do a better job than an empty chair.
Question: In your own words, what does a town council do?
Answer: The town council’s job is to deal with current problems in ways that lead to steady and sustainable growth. They must anticipate future trends and their possible effects on Buchanan. Simultaneously, they must understand residents’ expectations and incorporate them in all processes.
Question: What do you think the Buchanan Town Council is doing well?
Answer: The town’s schedule of special events is broad and, weather permitting, well attended. The town park is an excellent attraction and plans exist to increase its utilization. The town is still grappling with its water and sewer systems, but thanks to better oversight is slowly reeling it in.
Question: What do you think the Buchanan Town Council is doing well?
Answer: We need to fill the downtown stores with business people who understand their markets and will maintain the business hours they have posted. A town-wide freshening of the homes, business and yards would increase curb appeal, particularly those facing or backing on the major roads or streets. This could positively affect property sales. Planting trees in open yards would hold runoff and assist in refilling our water storage aquifers.
Question: What are your top three priorities for Buchanan?
Answer: 1) We need to develop approaches to increase jobs without which any community will fall apart. They should be local or within a reasonable commute and sustainable for a substantial period of time. Whatever the council is working on, jobs need to be a consideration. 2) We need workable means to increase vacant building maintenance. It will require working with county and state governments and legislatures. 3) Volunteers have done an amazing job of supporting town events, but they are aging out. We need a program to refresh and fill the coming openings.
Question: What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer: If you have a comment, criticism or suggestion and approach me in a reasonable manner, I will listen and check it out or pass it on even if I don’t agree with your position.
Town of Fincastle
There are two seats available.
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer:I graduated high school from Alleghany County in 2005, and Virginia Tech in 2010 with a degree in Chemistry.
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer:I work for the Product Development department for WestRock at the Covington paper mill.
Question: Why are you running for the Fincastle Town Council:
Answer: I enjoy being a part of the governing body of the town and being able to have input on the way the town is being ran.
Question: In your own words, what does a town council do?
Answer:To me, the town council looks out for the best interests of the town. Some examples are approving the monthly bills, discussing any residents’ concerns, and looking forward for the future of the town.
Question: What do you think the Fincastle Town Council is doing well?
Answer: I think the town is doing a great job at maintain long standing traditions (4thof July Fireworks, Fincastle Festival, and Christmas lights)
Question: What are some areas of improvement for the Fincastle Town Council?
Answer:To improve the sense of connection for the areas that have been included since the boundary adjustment.
Question:What are your top three priorities for Fincastle?
Answer:Continue to make financial decisions that will benefit the town and town residents, bring a sense of community to the areas included since the boundary adjustment, and help set the town up for long term financial success.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer: Citizens should vote for me because I’ve served on the town council for approximately a year. I have learned so much during my time on the town council and I’m excited to continue to serve the town.
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer: I have my Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from James Madison University.I am currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Accounting from Liberty University, with a concentration in Servant Leadership.
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer: I am the Director of Budget & Finance at Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare.
Question: Why are you running for the Fincastle Town Council:
Answer: I grew up in Fincastle and after getting married and having children, I knew this is where I wanted to raise my family. I remember the small diners, stores, and friendly people growing up here. If I can help Fincastle thrive and continue to move in a positive direction, I hope others are also able see the great value this town has to offer.
Question: In your own words, what does a town council do?
Answer: First and foremost, the town council listens to the concerns of its citizens. We have our meetings on the second Thursday of every month where citizens are allowed to voice concerns, or just listen to what is happening in the town. We discuss issues and try to find solutions, and we encourage citizen involvement. Oftentimes, citizens are a part of the different committees established, and having their direct involvement in the decisions being made is important.
Town council also keeps the town running with the diligent help of the town manager. Ensuring water and sewer utilities are in working order and maintained appropriately is important. These resources are essential to the citizens and businesses in the town, so staying cognizant of any changes in these areas is essential.
Question: What do you think the Fincastle Town Council is doing well?
Answer: The town is doing well at recognizing the need to attract new businesses and families. Several newer businesses and subdivisions have started in the past few years with the hopes of attracting families to the area. The town council is willing to think through new opportunities and reprise older ideas which will benefit the town.
Question: What are some areas of improvement for the Fincastle Town Council?
Answer: We can continue to improve on communicating the many unique characteristics which make Fincastle great! The picturesque beauty speaks for itself, but if we can show others we are inclusive of diverse families, speak to the history which accompanies our buildings and churches, and illustrate the significance of having a peaceful atmosphere for raising children, Fincastle will be able to advance alongside Botetourt County.
Question:What are your top three priorities for Fincastle?
Answer: My first priority is to be available to any citizen who would like to discuss issues, or bring ideas forward, which would have a positive impact on the town.
My second priority is to maintain those traditions the town is known for such as the Halloween parade, 4thof July fireworks, and Christmas lights.
My third priority is to ensure the town exhibits a welcoming environment for a diverse population.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer:Citizens should vote for me because I love this town! I am a Christian woman who strives to lead like Jesus led, and using Him as my example, I will be sure to treat others with respect and dignity at all times. I want others to experience this town as I did growing up, and as I continue to now as a mother, wife, and fellow citizen. I know the importance of wanting a safe, all-inclusive environment for raising children and living life. I will work to ensure Fincastle remains a place where people will want to visit again and again.
House of Delegates for the 17th District
Chris Head
House of Delegates for the 19th District
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer:I graduated from James River High School and attended Virginia Western Community College.
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer:I’ve been the president and owner of Austin Electrical Construction Inc. for 43 years.
Question:Why are you running for the House of Delegates?
Answer:In 2013, after serving 20 years in local government, and upon the retirement of the late Delegate Lacey Putney, I felt that I could better serve our county and region by serving in the 19thDistrict of the House of Delegates.
Question:In your own words, what does a member of the House of Delegates do?
Answer:The House of Delegates approves legislation for localities throughout the Commonwealth, carries legislation requested by constituents and governing bodies, and advocates on their behalf in both the House and Senate. The House and Senate produce a biannual budget which is required by the state constitution to be balanced, as well as allocates funds.
Question: What are your top three priorities for your district in the House of Delegates?
Answer:I have always been a proponent of economic development and the benefits that come with providing job opportunities for residents of the 19thHouse District. Having a reliable transportation network serves to enhance our economy and quality of life, which is why one of my top priorities was improving Interstate 81.
I am also focused on providing a high-quality education for our children and adults seeking to further their careers through continued education and career technical education (CTE) courses.
Public safety is another area of focus. Providing our law enforcement with the necessary resources is crucial to the well being of everyone. Ensuring a safe environment for our students in our public schools is of the utmost importance.
Question: What are your top three priorities for the House of Delegates?
Answer:1) Protect the Constitution and the rights of citizens by ensuring continuity of the lawmaking process in Virginia’s General Assembly, which is the longest serving legislative body in the western hemisphere, celebrating its 400thanniversary this year. 2) Maintain the Republican majority to protect the conservative values and pro-business legislation. 3) Have an open-door policy that always welcomes constituents to the Capitol.
Question:What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer: I’m a pragmatic conservative Republican who can work across the aisle to pass effective legislation to improve the quality of life and economic opportunity in our region. This past session I led the charge to improve the safety, reliability and efficiency of I-81 and our statewide interstate system. Also passed legislation that gives localities first right of refusal to purchase surplus state property for potential economic development.
Virginia Senate for the 23rd District
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer:CVCC and Lynchburg College
Question:What do you do for a living?
Answer: Delta Star, Vice President and Chairman of the Board of Directors
Question:Why are you running for the Virginia Senate?
Answer: I have always believed in public service. Over the past 30 years my neighbors in Central and Western Virginia have allowed me to serve as their representative. The reasons to run for the Virginia Senate are both the same and different than they were so many years ago. I have always believed that government must learn to live within its means, just like our families. As a result, I have pressed for lower taxes, less government regulation and more freedom. I have always believed that our families, not government are the central factor in a free society. I believe that education should focus on the basics of math, history, science and English first and then give opportunities for higher education or technical training building on these fundamentals. I understand that a strong economy comes from a capitalist principle, where everyone can succeed with determination and hard work. And I have always understood that protecting life is the first responsibility of our leaders.
Today, many of these basic principles are under attack. The make-up of the next Senate of Virginia may very well determine the direction we take as a Commonwealth for many years to come. This is why I am running for re-election this year.
Question:In your own words, what does the Virginia Senate do?
Answer: What a great question. At its core, the Virginia Senate and the House of Delegates pass the laws we live under as a Commonwealth. That task is divided into many areas and therefore the work of the Senate is shared among a number of different committees. Over the past years, I have been given the honor of serving on some of the more important committees including the Transportation Committee, Rules Committee, Commerce and Labor Committee, the Finance Committee and the Education and Health Committee, which I chair. For the past four years, I have been honored to be elected by the entire Senate to be their leader as the President Pro Tempore. This position allows me to preside over the Senate when the Lt. Governor is not in the Capitol, appoint Senate positions, represent the Senate with national committees, set dates of special elections while in session and other procedural tasks to lead the Senate. I am grateful to my Senate colleagues for selecting me to serve them in this historic position.
Question: What are your top three priorities for your district in the Senate?
Answer: Our citizens tell me that jobs and economic development, quality health care, low taxes and strong families are their greatest concerns.
What are your top three priorities for the Senate:
Answer:Not surprisingly, my priorities are similar. We need a strong economy here in Western Virginia. The very fabric of our ability to bring jobs to our region and create new jobs is now at risk. As of last week, it appears that a majority of Democrats want to do away with our fundamental Right to Work Law. This would mean every worker would be required to join and pay dues to a union even if they did not agree with the direction. This would take Virginia from one of the best places for jobs to the bottom of the list immediately. I would have never thought Virginia would take such a negative step. Next, I have put together a package for affordable healthcare that would help working families, instead of the Obama Care products that are often not affordable and force unnecessary coverage items on Virginians. On taxes, this last year I authored the final bill to return over $1 Billion in tax refunds back to families. Over the past few weeks, you have received in the mail a check from the Commonwealth in the amount of $110 for individuals and $220 for married couples. But this was just the beginning, next year we have doubled the standard deduction on the state income tax and reduced six other taxes. We did this because I believe that taxpayers’ money belongs to them first and if we can, we should return as much as possible to them for their family needs. And last, but not least, I have been a defender of the traditional family and the right to life. I have found common ground with Republican and common-sense Democrats to pass bills to limit attacks on the unborn.
Question: What is your elevator pitch for why citizens should vote for you?
Answer: I want to first thank the citizens in our area for sending me to represent them in Richmond for so many years in the Virginia Senate. I have been given the opportunity to gain seniority on the most important committees in the legislature. If re-elected, I plan to use this position to help Western Virginia on the key issues listed above. I hope I have earned your trust and I would be honored to represent you for the next four years at the state Capitol.
Soil and Water Conservation Directors for the Mountain Castles District
There are two seats available.
Jeffrey Henderson
- Preston Wickline III
