After serving nearly 14 years with Gloucester County government, its deputy county administrator, Garrey Curry, will leave at the end of this year to take a job as county administrator for Rappahannock County, an area of just over 7,000 people northwest of Culpeper. He will begin his duties there on Jan. 1, 2018.
Curry said the move will be bittersweet, as he has developed so many friendships during his tenure in Gloucester. However, an avid hiker and lover of the mountains, he is thrilled to be heading to an area where he and his family can better enjoy their favorite pastimes.
He stressed his move from Gloucester was really for no other reason than to change to a geographical area that was more fitting for his family. He said this was a good time for the move as his youngest child will graduate from high school at the end of this school year. “The timing made sense to not impact our kids so much,” he added.
Curry had been looking around seeking out vacancies in the western part of the state and when the position in Rappahannock County came up, he applied. “It was an area we knew as we had vacationed out that way, hiking and backpacking,” Curry said. “So I told myself, ‘Why not take a shot.’”
Gloucester’s former county administrator Brenda Garton has been serving as interim county administrator for Rappahannock County since July and Curry said he is looking forward to her help in getting a better idea of the climate of the community and its local government.
Curry was initially hired as director of public works for Gloucester and was promoted to the assistant county administrator for community development about four years ago. Last year, his title was changed to deputy county administrator to reflect his working in many areas of the county—and not just community development.
While in Gloucester, Curry said one of his most significant accomplishments was his involvement with the board of supervisors and the community in upgrading its radio system. “It was a very expensive project and it’s really nice to know now it just works,” he said. “It touches so many lives in the community.”
He also said he is proud of his connection with the staff and many community members. “I’m proud of my ability to manage relationships over time,” he added. “It’s been give and take with all of them, and hopefully others will see it in the same way.”
“It’s certainly not my intent to ‘get away’ from Gloucester,” he said. “I’ve really enjoyed my time here and really appreciate all of the opportunities.”
Gloucester’s county administrator Brent Fedors said, “Rappahannock County is fortunate to have secured top talent to fill their county administrator vacancy, and I couldn’t be happier for Garrey and his family, as this move satisfies several of his life goals, both personally and professionally.”
Fedors said that Curry will be “dearly missed” in Gloucester and his shoes will be “difficult to fill.” He added, “Garrey has been a dedicated and tireless leader in our organization. Our entire community owes him a debt of gratitude for many, many jobs well done.”
Gloucester will recruit for a new deputy county administrator without delay, Fedors said. “We wish Garrey and his family all the best in their future endeavors,” he added.