VINTON–Town Manager Chris Lawrence has announced the selection of Richard “Pete” Peters, Jr., as the new Assistant Town Manager and Director of Economic Development for the Town of Vinton. He was introduced at the council meeting held on November 3.
According to a press release from the town, Peters was selected from a highly competitive pool of 30 applicants. He will be responsible for continuing the successful economic development program of the town, special projects, downtown revitalization, and general administrative functions.
He will also work in partnership with Roanoke County and the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce to coordinate the town’s efforts to retain and recruit new businesses to the community. His first day on the job will be Monday, December 7.
Peters currently resides in Botetourt County. He is a native of the Mount Pleasant area and previously resided in Vinton for seven years. As part of his job requirements, he is required to live in the town or surrounding service area.
Peters is a 1993 graduate of William Byrd High School. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Management of Recreation and Leisure Services with a minor in Business from Ferrum College in 1997. He also received a Graduate Certificate in Local Government Management in 2010 from Virginia Tech—a program co-sponsored by the Virginia Local Government Management Association.
Peters has been married to his wife Cameron for 15 years and has two children.
He is an avid outdoor enthusiast and enjoys organized team sports as well as camping, hunting, hiking, mountain-biking and kayaking.
Peters has been employed by Botetourt County for ten years as Director of the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department and previously worked for Roanoke Catholic School for two years and for the City of Roanoke for six.
He has represented Botetourt County on the board of directors for the Botetourt County Chamber of Commerce, on the executive committee and the board of directors for the Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and on Botetourt’s Leadership and Development Team.
Peters has been actively involved with the development of numerous quality-of-life improvement initiatives and tourism-related development projects which enabled Botetourt County to expand numerous small businesses and to recruit new businesses in the visitor services and hospitality sectors of the local economy.
Peters said he had several reasons for applying to be Vinton’s assistant town manager.
“First of all, having essentially grown up in Vinton and being the community where I began to raise my own family, the appeal of ‘going home’ was the initial interest in the position as one does not often get a chance to do so professionally,” said Peters. “Then the more that I looked into what Town Council and Management was looking for in the assistant manager position and also taking into consideration where the town was headed with its planning for the future, it was easy to get excited about the opportunity and therefore I eagerly pursued.”
“Due to the proactive measures taken by Town Council and the leaders of Roanoke County to invest in infrastructure improvements within the downtown and the steps taken to encourage the private sector’s involvement in various redevelopment initiatives, I see the town being primed for positive economic growth,” he added.
Peters plans to move back to Vinton later in the spring once he settles into his new position. He currently lives less than 10 miles from the town limits so the “short term commute will be relatively easy in the meantime.”
“While my family did move out of Vinton a few years ago to be closer to my work at the time, we never stopped coming back to town for the quality businesses located there or attending the many great community events held throughout the year,” added Peters.
