On Tuesday night the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors appointed a new County Administrator. Stuart J. Turille, Jr, a native of Lynchburg, has experience in both the private and public sectors and has served in local government management in North Carolina and Virginia for over twenty years.
He will replace David M. Smitherman, who was terminated by the Board in January of 2022. Longtime County Attorney, J. Vaden Hunt, Esq., has been capably serving as Interim County Administrator since September of 2022.
Board Chair, Darrell Dalton, said: “We are glad to have found an experienced local government manager to serve as our County Administrator. The Board has met with Stuart several times and is confident that his character and experience will be a good fit for us and the community. The Board looks forward to working with Stuart to address the challenges we are facing and to help us further improve Pittsylvania County for the benefit of all its residents.”
The Board conducted a national search for the new County Administrator, assisted by The Berkley Group, of Bridgewater, Virginia. The Berkley Group received applications and conducted initial interviews with the most qualified candidates. It then assisted with selecting finalists for interviews with the Board.
Turille received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia, has a Master of Arts in International Affairs from George Washington University, and a Master of Public Administration from the Askew School at Florida State University. He spent almost ten years in the private sector as a management and financial analyst, including nearly four years with the World Bank as an economic analyst. Turille started his public sector career in 2002 in Broward County, Florida, as a Budget and Management Analyst. In 2005, he became the Management Assistant to the Town Manager of Matthews, North Carolina. Subsequently, Turille served as Town Administrator of St. Paul’s, North Carolina, as Town Manager of North Topsail Beach, North Carolina, as Deputy County Administrator of Essex County, Virginia, and as City Manager of Petersburg, Virginia.
Turille shared these thoughts about his appointment: “It is a privilege to serve the Board, citizens, and employees of Pittsylvania County, continuing my career as a local government manager. The County has a rural agricultural history and beauty worth protecting, combined with clear economic and cultural potential, which is what my family and I have sought. I will start with where we are today, seek to understand our past, and work with the Board and you to link it to the future. Where we are going, we will go together, as one community. I am eager to begin work with the Board to implement its vision for the County and to address both the challenges and opportunities identified. I appreciate the confidence that the Board has shown in me. As a native of Lynchburg, this opportunity is a homecoming of sorts. My family and I are at work already to purchase a home in the County and become a part of the community.”
Turille will assume his County Administrator duties on April 1, 2023.