Virginia Association of Counties executive director to retire

Published December 1, 2015 by Robert Powell, III

James D. Campbell plans to retire at the end of June after more than 25 years as executive director of the Virginia Association of Counties.

Campbell, the longest serving executive director in the association’s 81-year history, is credited with raising the organization’s visibility and unifying the commonwealth’s counties to achieve legislative goals.

“It has been an honor to serve the 95 counties of Virginia over the past 25 years,” Campbell said in a statement. “I’ve made many friends along the way and will cherish each friendship. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished during my tenure and believe the association is primed to launch to greater heights in the coming years.”

Campbell oversaw the purchase, renovation and maintenance of VACo’s headquarters, a downtown Richmond building constructed in 1866 that is on the National Register of Historic Places.  The renovation preserved the sturcture’s historical significance while achieving gold LEED certification, a widely accepted standard for “green” buildings.

Virginia Business is a tenant in the building.