Bath County Administrator Matt Walker resigns

Hot Springs, Va. –

Bath County Administrator Matt Walker has submitted his resignation. After one year as County Administrator, Walker announced Friday that he will step down to accept the position of Middlesex County Administrator on November first.
Walker came to Bath from Middlesex County, where he served as Director of Community Development. Walker said he felt it was in his family’s and his best interest to return. He called it a hard decision and one that he wrestled with for some time.

Bath County Board of Supervisors Chairman Cliff Gilchrest said he was impressed with Walker’s leadership during the derecho and mass power outage that followed. He said Walker’s willingness and ability to take a leadership role and work with others to effectively and efficiently consolidate and utilize resources and personnel made a big difference for people throughout Bath, Highland, western Rockbridge and Pocahontas County West Virginia.

At a Bath Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday afternoon, former Supervisor Jon Trees personally thanked Walker for the service he provided Bath County. Trees said Walker has been an asset to the county and has made a lot of great things happen.

Bath County Administrator Matt Walker.

“I’ve got to say thank you right back to this board and the previous board for giving me the opportunity,” said Walker. “I think you all have blessed my life in having me up here in the year that I’ve been here and I really want to make sure that I do everything I can to keep relationships with all of you. And I think this board’s doing a yeoman’s job and Bath County’s got a very bright future. Thank you all for the opportunity.”

On Tuesday afternoon the board accepted Walker’s resignation effective November first with that date subject to change based on what the board determines. The board authorized Chairman Cliff Gilchrest to solicit candidates to serve as interim County Administrator and report back to the board.

And in other business, the board accepted the candidate recommendations of the committee to fill the newly created Tourism Coordinator position. The board approved offering the job to the top candidate and then going down the list of candidates, if the top candidate declined the position.