Tim Doss, 58, of Port Haywood, has announced his candidacy for a seat on the Mathews County Board of Supervisors in the Nov. 7 election. He is running as an independent.

Doss said that if elected he will focus on what is best for Mathews County and its citizens, including providing support for the school system and first responders and encouraging people to speak up about what they perceive as the needs of the county. He said he has been saddened by the continued turmoil and divisiveness he has seen in Mathews, and as a board member, he would encourage teamwork and cooperation.

Good schools are essential to Mathews, said Doss, and “it’s important for board members to work with the school superintendent and develop a good working relationship with the school board.”

“There are jurisdictions around us that have established these relationships, and it’s been very effective,” he said.

It’s also important for the board of supervisors to encourage new business opportunities and attract visitors to the county for shopping and relaxation, he said.

Doss said that he, Tom Bowen and Janice Phillips had all “received overwhelming requests to run” for the board and had decided to run as a team. The three have been endorsed by the Mathews Citizens for the Common Good.

Currently the superintendent of the Middle Peninsula Regional Security Center, where he oversees 75 employees and a multi-million-dollar budget, Doss has been in law enforcement for 37 years, serving in command level positions for the past 26 years. He has been a school resource officer and uniform patrol officer and has served in administration, investigations, dispatch, courts/civil processes, and corrections, and has been a deputy emergency services coordinator. He was with the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office for 21 years, advancing through the ranks to chief deputy before being offered the superintendent’s position.

Doss holds an associate’s degree in liberal arts and a bachelor of arts in criminology, and he has taken multiple leadership courses, including the University of Richmond’s Professional Executive Leadership School and the 212th session of the FBI Academy.

“I have a passion for public service and I lead through teamwork,” said Doss.

He said he currently is the president of the Virginia Association of Regional Jails and a member of the Hampton Roads Criminal Justice Academy’s Executive Board of Directors, and the Mathews Board of Zoning Appeals.

In addition, since 1990, he has worked with the Middle Peninsula-Northern Neck Community Services Board and was formerly a member of its board. He has also served as president of the Gloucester Boys and Girls Club.

Doss and his wife Jennifer moved to Mathews three years ago from Gloucester, where they had lived for 30 years. Their daughter and her husband recently purchased a home in Mathews, as well, so their 8-year-old granddaughter and 4-year-old grandson are close by.

“My wife teaches at Mathews Elementary School, and our grandchildren will be attending school there,” he said. “How wonderful is that?”