By Debbie Adams
Vinton Town Manager Barry Thompson will be retiring from his position with the town at the end of the year. Thompson made the announcement at the council meeting on February 18.
“It has been my personal and professional pleasure to have served the Town of Vinton since December 2004, first as Town Finance Director/Treasurer, Interim Town Manager and Town Finance Director/Treasurer, and most recently as Town Manager,” said Thompson. “After 30 years of working in local government, I plan on retiring effective January 1, 2021.
Prior to coming to Vinton, Thompson served as Assistant City Manager for the City of Bedford, Assistant to the City Manager, and Director of Finance for 14 years. He has also worked as a consultant in governmental accounting and as a director of financial support for a governmental accounting software company.
“I would particularly like to thank Mayor Grose, the current Town Council and past council members for your excellent leadership and commitment in creating synergy and bringing continued growth to our Vinton community–and especially for your support to me, the Town’s Leadership Team, and all of our employees,” Thompson said. “I would also like to thank the professional Leadership Team that has supported and worked with me as Town Manager and the tremendous employee staff that works diligently in sometimes adverse conditions to make Vinton the in place to live, eat, work, and play.
“I am excited about the progress we have made together over the last few years and the plans we have envisioned, developed, and begun to implement to enhance the quality of life for people who live in and will visit Vinton for years to come,” he added. “I am proud to be a part of that legacy.
“I owe to my mother and father a heartfelt thank you for instilling in me the importance of work ethics and commitment and wish they could be here to see me make this announcement tonight,” he continued. “I also want to take this opportunity to publicly thank my wife, Margarete, and my two sons, Jonathan and Zachary. All three of them have always shown tremendous support of my public career. At various times, they have all shown great patience and understanding with me when work didn’t allow me to attend functions important to them or interfered with their personal lives.
“Finally, I thank God who has blessed me richly with my family, and in my professional career and especially in my positions with the Town of Vinton,” Thompson said.
“We certainly want to thank Barry Thompson for his devotion to the Town of Vinton and his dedication to his profession,” said Vinton Mayor Brad Grose. “Barry has been a great asset to the town, and he will be remembered as a solid leader as well as an accomplished Town Manager.”
“In addition to being a hard worker, Barry has always been honest and treated everyone with kindness and respect,” said Grose. “Barry’s style of leadership produced tremendous results for the town and allowed others within our organization to grow and flourish. Barry was always willing to make the difficult decisions, and he never tried to avoid the many challenges of being a Town Manager.”
“It has truly been a pleasure and an honor to work with Barry Thompson,” Grose said. “I am very thankful that I have had the privilege to know Barry and to work closely with him. All of us wish the very best for Barry Thompson and we hope he will enjoy his retirement.”
Thompson’s last day of work with the Town of Vinton will be September 30, 2020.
