Last week, Chesterfield County announced that transportation director Jesse Smith will be its new deputy county administrator for community development, replacing longtime county employee Bill Dupler.
The board of supervisors was expected to appoint Smith at its Sept. 25 meeting. He would begin his new role on Oct. 1. Dupler worked 28 years for the county in various capacities.
In his current role, Smith leads the county’s Transportation Department and serves as a key advisor to the county administrator and the supervisors. He is responsible for obtaining hundreds of millions of dollars in state and federal funding through competitive grant processes, and successfully managing infrastructure improvement projects.
Smith helped secure funding to improve the Ettrick Train Station in Chesterfield, and played a prominent role in the implementation of the revised cash proffer policy in 2016, which mitigated the impact of rezoning on county residents.
Additionally, Smith has represented the county at countless public meetings on projects such as the Route 10 Superstreet. He has won awards from the National Association of Counties, Virginia Association of Counties, the American Council of Engineering Companies and the “Highest Award for Achievement” from Dale Carnegie.
In his new job as deputy county administrator for community development, Smith will oversee the daily operations of multiple county departments and programs, including Building Inspection, Community Enhancement, Environmental Engineering, Planning, Transportation and Utilities.
Smith, who has worked for Chesterfield County since 2002, holds a bachelor’s degree in Biological Systems Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and is a lifelong resident of the county.
