Glenda Paul has officially been hired as the Orange County Administrator.
Late last month, Paul was announced as the county’s next administrator. Paul, who first came to the county in 2011 as the finance director, was appointed deputy county administrator in 2021 and has been serving as interim administrator since Ted Vorhees’ departure in June. In a county-issued press release Wednesday, Aug. 27, Paul was said to assume the role Sept. 1. The press release said District 1 Supervisor and board chairman Mark Johnson had announced the hire to senior leadership earlier that day.
However, while the board of supervisors had entered into a closed session meeting Tuesday, Aug. 26 for the purpose of discussion or consideration of prospective candidates for the county administrator position, no vote on Paul’s hire was taken in open session. According to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), all votes of a public body must be taken and recorded in an open session. When asked about the matter, one supervisor questioned when a county administrator hire is ever voted on in open session. He referred members of the press to the county attorney who did not respond to a request for comment.
On Thursday, Aug. 28, a new press release was issued by county officials stating the board had in fact discussed Paul’s “potential appointment as county administrator” and “unanimously supports moving forward” with that appointment. However, while the “decision to move forward was announced to staff and citizens,” contrary to the previous press release which said Paul would officially begin her new position Sept. 1, no contract had been signed or made official, with negotiations still underway. The board was to vote Sept. 9.
On Tuesday, the board once again went into a closed session during its worksession meeting to discuss a variety of matters including the county administrator position. During the regular meeting, the agenda was amended to add Paul’s official hiring, effective Sept. 1. Supervisors voted unanimously to support a motion approving the hire and allowing Johnson to execute her employment contract, the details of which have not yet been made public.
“Glenda has been with us for a long time and it’s very good to know she’ll be with us for a while longer,” Johnson said.
