Will Sessoms
Encyclopedia
William D. "Will" Sessoms, Jr. (c. 1954) is the current mayor, a former vice mayor, a former city councilman and businessman of Virginia Beach, Virginia
. He served on the Virginia Beach City Council from 1988–2002 and served as Vice Mayor of the city from 1992–2002. In 2008, he was elected mayor. He has served simultaneously as a banking officer during his career in elective office and after he declined to run for re-election as Vice Mayor in 2002.
On July 2, 1992, his city council colleagues elected him Vice Mayor by a 7–4 vote, although Sessoms had been maneuvering for a unanimous vote. While in office, he continued to serve as a Senior vice president in commercial loans at Central Fidelity National Bank. During his 1994 re-election, he was found to own stock
in Philip Morris
and have voted against an increase in the cigarette tax, the major source of funding for an economic development incentive fund. He was supported by both Republican and Democratic officials. He was again re-elected on May 3, 1994, and he received the most votes of any city council candidate. He considered contesting Meyera Oberndorf for Mayor in 1996, but stayed in office and was appointed to a third two-year term as Vice Mayor in 1996. At the time of his 1998 election, he was a banker for Wachovia
. He won re-election on May 5, 1998. Citing family reasons and job pressures, fourth-term councilman and fifth-term Vice Mayor Sessoms declined to run for re-election in 2002.
During Sessoms' time on the City Council and his tenure as Vice Mayor, he was not widely cited outside of Virginia. However, in 1997, when Virginia Beach struck a deal with the PGA Tour
tour to build a $10 million championship golf course
, Sessoms was one of the city's spokespersons. The tour agreed to pay $6.5 million of the construction cost.
's son. Sessoms' highest previous office was Vice Mayor of Virginia Beach, but at the time of his election he was serving as the president of TowneBank Virginia Beach. Sessoms defeated five-term incumbent Meyera Oberndorf on November 4, 2008. Previous municipal elections had been held in May. Oberndorf had been mayor since it became an office decided by direct election in 1988. Sessoms was sworn in on January 5, 2009, and his stated agenda from his swearing-in speech was to create jobs, improve the environment and neighborhoods, purchase Norfolk Southern Railway
right-of-way to build a light-rail line, and address problems with youth gangs.
. Sessoms is a Bachelor of Business Administration
alumnus of Virginia Commonwealth University
. Until September 1988, he was a member of the board of directors of the Princess Anne Country Club, which was at the time an integration target by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
. Early in his political career his continuing membership in the allegedly discriminatory country club and his decision to send his children to the private Norfolk Academy
were raised as issues by his political opponents, claiming such actions to be "elitist".
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
. He served on the Virginia Beach City Council from 1988–2002 and served as Vice Mayor of the city from 1992–2002. In 2008, he was elected mayor. He has served simultaneously as a banking officer during his career in elective office and after he declined to run for re-election as Vice Mayor in 2002.
City Council
In 1988, he was elected to an at-large seat on the Virginia Beach City Council in a special election. He had been a member of the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad and a banker with Central Fidelity. In 1990, he ran in the May 1 election to retain his at-large seat on the city council. He and fellow at-large incumbent Nancy K. Parker won re-election over nine challengers despite public displeasure regarding Labor Day weekend riots the previous year.On July 2, 1992, his city council colleagues elected him Vice Mayor by a 7–4 vote, although Sessoms had been maneuvering for a unanimous vote. While in office, he continued to serve as a Senior vice president in commercial loans at Central Fidelity National Bank. During his 1994 re-election, he was found to own stock
Stock
The capital stock of a business entity represents the original capital paid into or invested in the business by its founders. It serves as a security for the creditors of a business since it cannot be withdrawn to the detriment of the creditors...
in Philip Morris
Altria Group
Altria Group, Inc. is based in Henrico County, Virginia, and is the parent company of Philip Morris USA, John Middleton, Inc., U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, Inc., Philip Morris Capital Corporation, and Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. It is one of the world's largest tobacco corporations...
and have voted against an increase in the cigarette tax, the major source of funding for an economic development incentive fund. He was supported by both Republican and Democratic officials. He was again re-elected on May 3, 1994, and he received the most votes of any city council candidate. He considered contesting Meyera Oberndorf for Mayor in 1996, but stayed in office and was appointed to a third two-year term as Vice Mayor in 1996. At the time of his 1998 election, he was a banker for Wachovia
Wachovia
Wachovia was a diversified financial services company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before its acquisition by Wells Fargo in 2008, Wachovia was the fourth-largest bank holding company in the United States based on total assets...
. He won re-election on May 5, 1998. Citing family reasons and job pressures, fourth-term councilman and fifth-term Vice Mayor Sessoms declined to run for re-election in 2002.
During Sessoms' time on the City Council and his tenure as Vice Mayor, he was not widely cited outside of Virginia. However, in 1997, when Virginia Beach struck a deal with the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
tour to build a $10 million championship golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
, Sessoms was one of the city's spokespersons. The tour agreed to pay $6.5 million of the construction cost.
Mayor
Sessoms decided to run for mayor in July 2007. By December 31, 2007, Sessoms had a US$321,000 to $5,600 fundraising edge. Sessoms announced his mayoral candidacy on June 25, 2008 and was endorsed by Doug McCain, who is a Virginia Beach resident and John McCainJohn McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
's son. Sessoms' highest previous office was Vice Mayor of Virginia Beach, but at the time of his election he was serving as the president of TowneBank Virginia Beach. Sessoms defeated five-term incumbent Meyera Oberndorf on November 4, 2008. Previous municipal elections had been held in May. Oberndorf had been mayor since it became an office decided by direct election in 1988. Sessoms was sworn in on January 5, 2009, and his stated agenda from his swearing-in speech was to create jobs, improve the environment and neighborhoods, purchase Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
right-of-way to build a light-rail line, and address problems with youth gangs.
Personal
As of his 1994 re-election, Sessoms had three children, Mollie, Kate, and Anne Douglas, and he had been married to his wife, Beverley, for 17 years. His father-in-law, Roy B. Martin, Jr., is a former mayor of Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
. Sessoms is a Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration
The Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
alumnus of Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
. Until September 1988, he was a member of the board of directors of the Princess Anne Country Club, which was at the time an integration target by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
. Early in his political career his continuing membership in the allegedly discriminatory country club and his decision to send his children to the private Norfolk Academy
Norfolk Academy
Norfolk Academy is an independent co-educational day school in Norfolk, Virginia. Chartered in 1728, it is the oldest secondary school in Virginia and the eighth oldest in the United States...
were raised as issues by his political opponents, claiming such actions to be "elitist".