Stephen Daum of Gloucester has joined the staff of Mathews County as the interim building official. He replaces Jamie Wilks, who ended seven-plus years with the county on Friday. Wilks has accepted a position as the building official for Madison County.

Daum will be working three days a week, usually Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. He will provide all of the services that Wilks provided, including inspections and plan reviews. He brings with him nearly 30 years of experience as a building professional, beginning with a career as a general contractor before going to work for the city of Newport News as an inspector with the Redevelopment and Housing Authority.

He then served five years as an inspector in the zoning department in Gloucester before being offered the position of building official in Lancaster County. He was there for 14 years, retiring in September 2018.

Wilks said that Madison County is larger than Mathews, with a population of around 14,000 people, and as the buildin...