By Shawn Nowli
For at least the next four months, Roanoke will be without a permanent city manager.
During a recent 90-minute closed-door session, city council voted 6-0 to approve Dr. Lydia Patton’s interim appointment to start immediately. Absent from the proceeding was Councilmember Vivian Sanchez-Jones.
After seven years in the role, former city manager Bob Cowell resigned in late May in part because of a different viewpoint pertaining to disciplinary matters surrounding a subordinate. In the first six months of 2024 alone, city hall saw the resignation of Roanoke’s Parks and Recreation Director and the demolition of an assistant city manager because of alleged verbal abuse.
Patton has considerable experience with local city government that spans over three decades. For six years starting in 2015, Patton, the first woman to serve as Portsmouth City Manager, held the role.
In addition to a Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University, Patton says she also earned a bachelor’s degree from Kentucky State University and a master’s degree from the University of Louisville.
Berkley Group, which Roanoke retained to help in its search for a new city manager, currently employs Patton who serves as the company’s strategic executive manager. Patton and two other candidates were referred to the council for the interim position.
Before Patton’s 3 p.m. news conference on June 11 in the municipal building, she had already met with various city staff personnel. Accompanying her at the news briefing were Mayor Sherman Lea and councilmembers Trish White-Boyd, Stephanie Moon-Reynolds, Luke Priddy and Peter Volosin.
Singing her praises, Lea says Patton’s wealth of knowledge makes her the ideal fit for the interim role. “Dr. Patton is a person who is very conscious of employees in terms of making sure that they know they’re appreciated and wanted. Her community background has a proven track record, and I couldn’t be more excited to have her on board.”
Grateful for the opportunity, the new interim city manager said, “In this role, it’s very important to get to know the employees who are part of the team. Each one brings a unique piece with them that’s part of a larger puzzle. Everyone in municipal government has unique skills and talents. I am honored and delighted.”
Patton made it clear that she has no intentions of becoming the next full-time city manager.
White-Boyd noted that a rigorous search for that individual is currently underway and ideally, will be announced by fall.
“I want to thank all of our residents for their patience and resilience,” said the chair of the council’s personnel committee. “Please know our priority is to make sure that the transition to the interim City Manager is a smooth one with zero impact on our residents or city services.”
