The Tappahannock Town Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Steven R. Wright as its Town Manager. At its meeting on Monday, August 11th, the Town Council unanimously approved an employment agreement with Mr. Wright who currently serves as a Deputy County Administrator for Gloucester County, Virginia. Prior to his tenure in Gloucester County, Mr. Wright served as the Administrator for the Planning, Analytics and Customer Service Unit for Montgomery County (MD) Department of Health and Human Services; Township Administrator for Northfield Center Township, OH; and Director of Business Intelligence and Project Management Manager for the Cuyahoga County (OH) Office of Innovation and Performance. Earlier in his career, he worked for the City of Virginia Beach serving both in the Department of Public Libraries and the Department of Parks and Recreation. Mr. Wright succeeds Eric Pollitt who left earlier this year.
Tappahannock Mayor, Roy Gladding said, “We are excited to welcome Steve Wright to Tappahannock. Steve is a dynamic professional manager who is passionate about his commitment to serving others, and brings considerable knowledge, skills and experience in local government to the Town Manager position. The Council was particularly impressed with Steve’s focus on building constructive relationships within the community, his highly collaborative style in working with the Town staff, and his keen interest in working closely with the Council to complete on-going initiatives and identify future opportunities for improving the Town. We are certain that Steve will be a valuable asset to the Town of Tappahannock, and we are looking forward to him assuming his duties”.
The Town Council conducted a national search for the new Town Manager, assisted by The Berkley Group of Bridgewater, Virginia. The Council also expressed their sincere appreciation for the professional services of Doug Fawcett, who has provided valuable support as Interim Town Manager for the past several months and will continue to serve in that role until Mr. Wright assumes his official duties on September 22nd.
Mr. Wright earned a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Akron and a Bachelor of Arts from Bowling Green State University. He has completed the Public Leadership Credential through the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and the Senior Executive Institute at the Virginia Institute of Government/Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia. Steve is a member of both the American Society for Public Administration and the International City/County Management Association. He is especially honored to have received the Julian F. Hirst Award for Distinguished Service from the Hampton Roads Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration in 2024.
Mr. Wright commented, “I am excited to have this opportunity to actively collaborate with the dedicated staff and elected officials of the Town of Tappahannock to enhance the quality of life for our diverse and exceptional community.”
