Scott Davis Bids Farewell After Nine Years as Farmville Town Manager

After exactly nine years of steering the day‑to‑day operations of Farmville, Town Manager Scott Davis, L.P.D., will step down on October 30 to take the reins as county administrator for Gloucester County. His final report, delivered to the council on October 14, was part reflection, part gratitude.

“These years have flown by,” Davis said, a modest smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I’ve been fortunate to work with a community that’s genuinely supportive, and with a team that’s pushed to make Farmville better every single day.” He paused, looking over the faces of the council members, then added, “The real measure of success is leaving a place a little better than you found it. I’m confident this crew will keep that momentum going.”

Deputy Town Manager and Director of Finance Julie Moore will fill the gap on an interim basis while Davis makes the transition. “Thank you for allowing me to serve the citizens and businesses of Farmville,” he told the assembled council. “This town will always hold a special place in my career.”

Each council member rose to share a personal note of appreciation. Davis is only the second town manager in the town’s half‑century history – the first being Gerald Spates, who held the post for 41 years. Davis began as Spates’ assistant, later stepping in as interim before being appointed permanently.

Mayor Brian Vincent closed the session with a story that summed up Davis’s legacy. “A reporter once asked about our working relationship,” he recalled. “I said we both value professionalism and integrity, especially when politics try to muddy the waters.” Vincent noted that many town managers today are burnt out by partisan pressures, yet Davis “never lost his composure.”

Vincent also reflected on a shift in town culture. “There was a time when favors and a ‘good‑old‑boy’ network defined things,” he said. “Now it’s all about merit, and that’s a direct result of the team Davis helped build.”

Later, Prince Edward County Schools Superintendent Chip Jones, Ed.D., used the platform to spotlight the district’s recent achievements. All three schools posted meaningful gains in the 2026 School Performance and Support Framework, and the middle school exited a comprehensive improvement status – a top‑tier federal rating.

The district’s nutrition program earned national recognition as a 2026 School Food Renegade from the Chef Ann Foundation, praised for swapping processed, heat‑and‑serve meals for fresh, scratch‑cooked fare. In partnership with No Kid Hungry and Amazon, the school division shipped 70,000 free meal boxes to children in rural areas this summer, a logistical feat that “was quite an undertaking, but we made it,” Jones said.

Jones also announced a community‑focused gang‑awareness workshop set for October 26 in the Barbara Rose Johns Auditorium, urging families to learn the signs of recruitment and how to respond.

In the council’s “other business” segment, a proclamation honored the Longwood Garden Club’s centennial, an ordinance re‑zoned two parcels on Early Street from commercial to medium‑density residential, and two resolutions moved over $700,000 between the general fund and street‑maintenance fund to address budget shortfalls.

As the meeting wrapped, there was a palpable sense that while Davis’s chapter in Farmville is ending, the story of the town’s growth continues – propelled by the very principles he championed: professionalism, fairness, and community‑first thinking.