Mayor Dwight C. Jones issued the following statement today on the outcome of the City Council President and Vice President elections. "I offer my sincere congratulations to all newly sworn-in members of Richmond City Council.  Special congratulations go to newly elected Richmond City Council President Charles Samuels and Richmond City Council Vice President Ellen Robertson. Their leadership, foresight and attention to detail will benefit all of us as we continue to work together to address issues in our city. As we enter 2013, our city is poised for great things!  We have made much progress and have had many accomplishments over the past four years. I look forward to working with the entire Council as we continue to Build a Better Richmond.   “President Samuels will bring his parliamentary skills and his level judgment to the job.  He has a balanced approached to complex problems.   “Vice President Robertson brings her experience and grace under pressure to ...

Two new elementary schools opened today in the city of Richmond.  School children returning from winter break at Oak Grove–Bellemeade and Broad Rock Elementary Schools began classes in new facilities today with river and forest themes, outdoor learning spaces and community wings; to name a few amenities. “There are no schools like these in the city of Richmond,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “It was very exciting to open these two schools today and to see the look on the children’s faces as they entered their new classrooms.” Mayor Jones held a ribbon cutting ceremony along with members of Richmond City Council and Richmond Public Schools Board.  A brief tour of each school was taken before the student bodies were addressed in each school’s Commons area. Oak Grove–Bellemeade is a 91,000 square foot facility with campus construction costs of $20,689,189; and Broad Rock is a 94,136 square foot facility with construction costs of $19,882,309. There is wireless technology throughout...

The City’s Chief Administrative Officer Byron C. Marshall announced today that Stephen W. Harms has been appointed as the Interim Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Human Services, effective Wednesday, January 2, 2013. Mayor Dwight C. Jones said, “I’m very pleased that Mr. Harms is joining this administration. He brings great knowledge and a calming influence to a very important area of our city government.” Harms who is currently retired, most recently served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Tim Kaine. Prior to this position, he served as the Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources under Governor Kaine. He also served as the Deputy Secretary of Finance and Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources under Governor Warner, and was responsible for advising the Governor and Cabinet Secretaries. Harms also served as a Legislative Fiscal Analyst on the staff of the Senate Finance Committee, and as a Legislative Analyst for the General Assembly’s Joint Legis...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones issued the following statement today on the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. “My heart holds deep regret and sorrow as I learned of the tragedy in Connecticut today. On behalf of the entire Richmond community, I offer my sincerest condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims as well as to all of those affected by this tragedy. This type of nonsensical attack, as well as the recent Oregon shopping mall tragedy, are occurrences that can take an enormous toll on a community. It is my hope that we will one day live in a world that is without horrific events such as these.”

Mayor Dwight C. Jones issued the following statement concerning the CAA Men’s Basketball Championships move to Baltimore for the 2014-2016 seasons: “Richmond provided a robust and competitive bid for the 2014-2016 CAA Tournament. However, after a long and successful history in Richmond, the CAA has notified the City that they will be moving to Baltimore following the 2013 season. We understand the move to be the result of conference realignments that have shifted the fan base of the tournament. With the changing landscape of the conference and the loss of two local prominent universities, it appears that the move to Baltimore fits the tournaments’ long term goals at this time. “We have had a great partnership for twenty-four years with the CAA and have shared many successes. We wish the CAA well and thank them for the long history. With respect to what’s on the city’s horizon related to our Coliseum operations, our perspective is that when one door closes, another opens. Even with CAA...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones will be joined by Capital One executives to announce the launch of the Building Better Businesses…Steps to Success Mentorship Program. The City of Richmond and Capital One will introduce the 2012-2013 protégés of the program, which is designed to provide mentoring in the areas of finance, technical expertise, marketing, and operations. Capital One has graduated over 60 regional businesses from similar mentoring programs in other states.  The City of Richmond selected ten businesses, located in the city of Richmond, for the 12 month program following an application and interview process. Capital One then chose a mentor to assign to each company based on their unique needs. The selected participants are all community-based minority- and women-owned businesses. Virginia Union University will support the program with the placement of interns in the selected businesses. WHO:             Mayor D...

Press Secretary Tammy D. Hawley provided the following statement today concerning the Richmond Department of Social Services: “The City Administration has reached a mutual agreement with Dr. Carolyn Graham, deputy chief administrative officer for Human Services, regarding her departure from city service.  Dr. Graham’s last official day in the office was Friday, December 7, 2012.  Dr. Graham will be working with city leadership over the next few weeks to provide a transition plan for many of the important projects for which she had oversight responsibility. The City’s chief administrative officer, Byron Marshall, will serve as acting deputy chief administrative officer for Human Services until another interim deputy is named. “The City remains focused on the ongoing review of the Richmond Department of Social Services (RDSS) Child Welfare division. At our request, the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) is continuing to review additional case files following...