VML Voice

How is this small town doing such big things? The VML Voice travelled to Tappahannock in December to talk with lifetime resident Mayor Roy Gladding and relative newcomer Town Manager Eric Pollitt to find out how the community is honoring its past while building for the future.

"Sell your surplus assets virtually - anytime, anywhere!"We've all got stuff we need to get rid of and local governments are no different! VML partner organization GovDeals is a leader in helping local government assess and sell their unused assets easily, affordably, and responsibly. We had a chance to catch up with Business Development Manager Chris Lassiter during our Annual Conference in October. VML's member localities would do well to hear what Chris and GovDeals can do for them.Chris can be reached at [email protected].

On September 25, the VML Voice traveled to the City of Manassas to spend an afternoon with Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger. Find out what it's been like for Mayor Davis-Younger to be the first African-American, female mayor of Manassas, what motivated her to run for council in the first place, and why her "My Mayor Looks Like Me" program is making a difference in the lives young girls in her city.

Among the highlights we are looking forward to for the 2024 Annual Conference is the return of ace facilitator Matt Lehrman. This time, Matt is coming back to emcee the Mayors Institute on Sunday and to close out the conference Tuesday morning with an interactive leadership exercise In this episode, we catch up with Matt to find out more about what we can expect to experience at the 2024 VML Annual Conference.

On May 14, the VML Voice traveled from Richmond to Falls Church for a chat with Mayor Letty Hardi and Councilwoman Marybeth Connelly. The timing was fortuitous as May 14 happened to be the day after the Falls Church council had not only honored the Region 5 winner of VML’s “If I Were Mayor” essay contest, but had also celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and passed a budget! All of which meant that there was plenty to talk about. 

Learn about Dominion Energy’s outdoor LED conversion program with options that are perfect for municipal customers. Plus – hear about Dominion Energy’s partnership with several Virginia cities to pilot innovative smart city technologies. These partnerships aim to enhance urban living, improve sustainability, and empower local communities.Guests include:Jerri Northedge, Manager Outdoor Lighting & Smart CitiesMachesha Hasty, Electric Distribution Program Manager - Smart CitiesLeslie Downey, Outdoor Lighting Project Manager

The Manassas City Police Department (MCPD) complies with over 460 standards set forth by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). These standards drive department policies from mental health response to use of force; from evidence handling to volunteering; from uniforms to towing. In this episode the VML Voice chats with Police Chief (and current Interim City Manager) Douglas Keen and MCPD Accreditation Manager Mason Riggs about how CALEA accreditation ensures that the police department’s policies and behaviors are fair, safe, and effective for its employees and residents.

On May 18 and 19, VML, VACo and the Broadband Association of Virginia hosted an in-person conference in Richmond that brought together some of the leading voices in Virginia and national broadband. The VML Voice was there talking to some of the leading voices in broadband. In Part II we talk to...Elad Nafshi – Executive Vice President and Chief Network Officer of ComcastSejal Naik – Deputy Chief Economist at the Virginia Association of Realtors Matt Ogburn – Director of Virginia State and Local Affairs for VerizonCindy Church – E Rate Coordinator for the Library of VirginiaCrystal Duke – Grants and Funding Manager for Breezeline

On May 18 and 19, VML, VACo and the Broadband Association of Virginia hosted an in-person conference in Richmond that brought together some of the leading voices in Virginia and national broadband. The VML Voice was there talking to some of the leading voices in broadband.In Part I we talk to...Jim Doyle – President, Business Forward FoundationDeborah Lathen – Founder and President, Lathen Consulting LLCMike Culp – Director, Broadband Accessibility and Affordability Office in Albemarle CountyKeli Page – FirstNet Area Sales Manager, First Net by AT&TLori Stone – Senior Public Safety Advisor, First Responder Network Authority

This episode of the VML Voice came at the suggestion of City of Bristol Manager (and VML Board Member) Randy Eads. Bristol’s city council members are all relatively young and new to local government. But I think you’ll find, as I did, that though they may be young and new they are also enthusiastic and bring a lot of the table.Featured guests are Mayor Neal Osborne, Vice-Mayor Becky Nave, Councilmember (and former mayor) Anthony Farnum, and Councilmember Jake Holmes.Enjoy!

The VML Voice travels to the Town of Ashland (aka “The Center of the Universe”) to chat about their new town hall. What was wrong with the old town hall? How did the staff and PMA architecture make the case for a new town hall? What makes the new town hall fantastic? And…who paid for it? These, and other questions, are answered in glowing detail.Guests include Town Manager Josh Farrar, Town Engineer Ingrid Stenbjorn, and PMA Architecture’s Proposal Manager Pam Manager.And be sure to check out the article about Ashland’s new town hall in the November 2022 issue of Virginia Town & City.

 If you’ve checked out the July/August issue of VML’s magazine Virginia Town & City then you already know that it’s all about making the most of all the outdoor recreation options available in our amazing Commonwealth. In this episode of the VML Voice, host Rob Bullington calls contributing author Jessica Bowser for a chat about all the great advice in her article “How to recreate in Virginia”.Jessica is an accomplished Virginia outdoors recreation enthusiast, official “Master Hiker” and host of the Virginia Outdoor Adventures podcast which provides a platform for individuals to tell their stories, to share their connection to the outdoors, and to build a local community where the outdoors are for everyone. Learn more here >.Take it from a Virginia outdoors nut like Jessica Bowser, there’s some simple things everyone can do to make the most of their getaways! 

  In episode one, we learned that confidence is what makes a great public speaker, well, great. In this second part of our two part series on “Strategies for Successful Public Speaking,” Leslie Strickler of Etre Communications explains how everyone can be more confident and achieve greatness as a public speaker.

  Do you suffer from glossophobia – the fear of public speaking? Well, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that as much as 75 percent of all people are fearful of speaking in front of groups. If you’re a public official or local government staff, the occasions where you need to speak in public can be frequent and unavoidable. That’s why the VML Voice is doing a two part series on “Strategies for Successful Public Speaking.” In this first episode we talk with public speaking instructor Myeisha Grady from VML Community Business Member the American Public University System.

  In November of 2021 the City of Radford was missing a councilmember. Well, they weren’t really “missing” a councilmember; he had resigned before the end of his term to pursue a job opportunity elsewhere. But, missing or not, the remaining councilmembers had a vacant seat to fill. Normally, they would have appointed someone without too much fanfare to finish out the term. However, this time the City of Radford decided to bring the public into the process. It’s no mystery how this case was resolved, because the VML Voice — with some help from Radford Mayor Horton, Vice-Mayor Huntington, and Councilmember Harshberger — is here to tell you all about it!

VML is able to do what we do thanks to the fantastic work done by the local officials and managers who serve on our committees and Board of Directors. In this episode we visit with some new and veteran Board members to find out what makes VML work and why folks might want to devote some of their time and energy to serving on VML’s Board and committees. Participants include: President Jon Stehle (Council Member, City of Fairfax), At-Large Member Robert C. Ike, Jr. (Council Member, City of Chesapeake), At-Large Member Derrick Wood (Mayor, Town of Dumfries),  City Section Chair Randy C. Eads (City Manager, City of Bristol), Town Section Chair Steven Trivett (Mayor, Town of Ashland),  Urban Section Chair Katie Cristol (Board Member, County of Arlington), and Immediate Past President Willie Greene (Mayor, City of Galax).

Connections start with conversations and VML’s Annual Conference is one of the best places for local government leaders in Virginia to share stories, trade experiences and build connections. In the spirit of building connections, the VML Voice is pleased to offer this four-part series of podcasts recorded during the 2021 Annual Conference held Oct. 3-5, 2021 at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg. Hosts: Jon Stehle – VML President and Councilmember for the City of Fairfax Rob Bullington – VML Director of Communications Guests: Ross Litkenhous – Councilmember, City of Falls Church Sanith Wijesinghe – Technical Fellow, MITRE Corporation Deb Zides – Defense Acquisition & Policy, MITRE Corporation

Connections start with conversations and VML’s Annual Conference is one of the best places for local government leaders in Virginia to share stories, trade experiences and build connections. In the spirit of building connections, the VML Voice is pleased to offer this four-part series of podcasts recorded during the 2021 Annual Conference held Oct. 3-5, 2021 at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg. Hosts: Jon Stehle – VML President and Councilmember for the City of Fairfax Rob Bullington – VML Director of Communications Guests: Kathy Lawson – Mayor, City of Martinsville Jennifer Bowles – Vice Mayor, City of Martinsville Bob Roop – PE – Infrastructure Division Senior Vice President, Timmons Group Paul Trapp – Director of Infrastructure Services, Timmons Group

Connections start with conversations and VML’s Annual Conference is one of the best places for local government leaders in Virginia to share stories, trade experiences and build connections. In the spirit of building connections, the VML Voice is pleased to offer this four-part series of podcasts recorded during the 2021 Annual Conference held Oct. 3-5, 2021 at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg. Hosts: Jon Stehle – VML President and Councilmember for the City of Fairfax Rob Bullington – VML Director of Communications Guests: Leslie Hager-Smith – Mayor, Town of Blacksburg Susan Anderson – Councilmember, Town of Blacksburg Lauren Colliver – Councilmember, Town of Blacksburg Charles Davidson – Director, The Carter School’s Political Leadership Academy at George Mason University John Chapman – Councilmember, City of Alexandria

Connections start with conversations and VML’s Annual Conference is one of the best places for local government leaders in Virginia to share stories, trade experiences and build connections. In the spirit of building connections, the VML Voice is pleased to offer this four-part series of podcasts recorded during the 2021 Annual Conference held Oct. 3-5, 2021 at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg. Hosts: Jon Stehle – VML President and Councilmember for the City of Fairfax Rob Bullington – VML Director of Communications Guests: Kaj Dentler – Town Manager, Town of Leesburg Mercury Peyton – Town Manager, Town of Vienna Michael Spurlock – Convention Services Manager, Richmond Region Tourism Jennifer Lawson – Volunteer, Pennington Gap’s Lee Theater

It’s hurricane season Virginia! The VML Voice chats with Erin Sutton from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Listen to find out what localities can do to be ready and what resources VDEM can provide to help. We also discuss unique challenges that persist due to COVID and find out what VDEM is doing to ensure equitable disaster response and recovery. Finally, Erin participates in our Hurricane Quiz Game and we find out if “Herma, Herma, Hurricane” is a real song.

It’s hurricane season Virginia! The VML Voice chats with Erin Sutton from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Listen to find out what localities can do to be ready and what resources VDEM can provide to help. We also discuss unique challenges that persist due to COVID and find out what VDEM is doing to ensure equitable disaster response and recovery. Finally, Erin participates in our Hurricane Quiz Game and we find out if “Herma, Herma, Hurricane” is a real song.

In early May, the VML Voice spoke with Terry Tilley, town manager of Stuart, and Keith Barker, city manager of Galax. Both these managers are set to retire this year after many years of service to their communities. We used the occasion to ask them about their experiences in local government, what got them started and what kept them going, advice for those who will follow them, and their post-retirement plans. As a bonus, this episode of The VML Voice is now available with extra goats!

Checking in with the VDH's Office of Environmental Health Services On March 18, host of the VML Voice, Rob Bullington, chatted with a couple staff members from the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Environment Health Services. He was joined by Director Julie Henderson and Legal Affairs and Environmental Health Coordinator Karri Atwood. The conversation covered a lot of ground – from sewage to shellfish, from enforcing coronavirus restrictions to lessons learned from the pandemic…and more!

Petersburg: How to Save a City (part 2) In part 1, we explored how Petersburg nearly went off the rails when it faced financial ruin just a few short years ago. In part 2 we spend some more time with Mayor Samuel Parham, City Manager Aretha Ferrell Benavides, Deputy City Manager Lionel Lyons and Economic Development Manager Clay Hamner as they discuss some recent good news and their hopes for the future of the city that is now back on track. VML’s financial policy analyst Neal Menkes makes a special appearance to help us set the record straight on the state’s role in saving the city back in 2016. We also check in with Bill Hartsock, a member of the Historic Petersburg Foundation and real estate agent to discuss the city’s unique and flourishing real estate market.

Petersburg: How to Save a City (part 1) In the fall of 2016, the City of Petersburg was on the precipice of a major financial crisis. Two weeks ahead of a million-dollar payroll, the City held only $75,000 in funds. Tax collections were below 60%, water utility rates were below competitive market rates, and the Treasurer’s office was under scrutiny by the FBI. The city had a six-million dollar deficit and a Standard and Poor’s bond rating of BBB-. By the summer of 2020, the city had increased its fund balance to $8 million and was operating at a $4 million per year positive cash flow. Davenport and Company, the city’s financial advisor, called the turnaround “as great as any we have witnessed in 40 years.” How did it happen? The VML Voice talks to several of the local officials and staff who played a part. In Part 1, we talk about the dark days of the crises and the herculean effort needed to save the city. Part 2 (coming soon) will look at some recent good news for the city, hopes for the future, and its unique and flourishing real estate market.