Lynchburg Reporter

City of Lynchburg issued the following announcement on May. 27. 

At its May 25, 2021 meeting, Lynchburg City Council officially appointed Wynter Benda of Norfolk, Virginia to the position of City Manager. Benda is expected to assume his new duties on August 4, 2021.  He currently serves as the Chief Deputy City Manager for Norfolk. 

Lynchburg Mayor, MaryJane Dolan, said City Council is looking forward to working with Benda and believes he is the right person for the position. “This vote is the culmination of an extensive nationwide search,” said Mayor MaryJane Dolan. “We can confidently say that Fahrenheit Advisors’ Managing Director, Sheila Hill-Christian and team did a thorough job in recruiting and vetting the many candidates. Wynter rose to the top because of his wealth of knowledge, years of public service experience and his zest for service.”

Benda began working for the City of Norfolk over ten years ago. He was appointed to Chief Deputy City Manager in 2017 after serving as Deputy City Manager since 2013. As the Chief Deputy Manager, he led a portfolio of city departments that includes the Departments of Planning, Intergovernmental Relations, Public Utilities, Public Works, Transit, Real Estate, Resilience and Communications.

He began his career in the City Manager’s Office as Assistant to the City Manager where he worked across multiple city departments. He has also served as the Senior Assistant City Attorney for the City of Hampton, the In-House Council for the Chesapeake Treasurer's Office and served as a Judicial Law Clerk for the 7th Judicial Circuit.

Benda was charged with overseeing several major economic development projects including negotiating a 30-year extension through 2060 of an existing water agreement with Virginia Beach valued at $250 million, finalizing a $30 million land sale agreement with Hampton Roads Sanitation District for the expansion of the Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) onto Lambert’s Point Golf Course, spearheading a partnership with the Downtown Norfolk Council to establish Selden Market – Norfolk’s first retail incubator space – in the newly renovated Selden Market, and managing several catalytic opportunities in Ocean View adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay.   

He also implemented the new Department of Transit, overseeing the city’s multimodal transportation portfolio and was involved in a multi-year initiative to redesign the city’s transportation network.

Benda received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hampden-Sydney College, a Masters of Divinity degree and a Masters of Theology degree from Union Presbyterian Seminary and a Juris Doctor from Regent University School of Law.

He was born in Norfolk and raised in Virginia Beach. He and his wife Shannon have three daughters.

“Lynchburg is a dynamic and vibrant city, and it is an honor to take the helm of this organization. As one of the fastest growing cities in Virginia, there is a tremendous opportunity to build on that momentum, and I look forward to working with City Council and our residents on this important effort,” said Wynter C. Benda.

                                               

Click here to view Wynter C. Benda's resume.

 Original source can be found here.