Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors
June 3, 2022
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, VA — Two-term Midlothian District Supervisor Leslie Haley is resigning from the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors effective Monday, June 6.
Haley, who currently serves as the board’s vice chair, was first elected to represent Midlothian on the county’s five-member governing body in 2015 and then re-elected in 2019.
Her colleagues chose Haley to be vice chair of the Board of Supervisors in 2017 and 2018, followed by stints as chair in 2019 and 2020.
Haley has been active in community and school affairs in Chesterfield for more than 20 years. Before deciding to pursue elected office, she served as president of the Midlothian High School PTSO, past president of the Chesterfield County Council PTA, a board member of SAFE (Substance Abuse Free Environment) since 2008, and on bond referendum committees in 2004 and 2013. She also organized and led many community-based efforts, such as the Citizens Standardized Testing Forum to address concerns about testing in K-12 schools.
She released the following statement regarding her tenure on the board:
“When I think back to how I got started, running for the Board of Supervisors wasn’t at all on my bucket list. I had always been engaged with schools, the community and my neighborhood. I never really thought that work would take me down this path, but it has been truly humbling to have the citizens’ support to represent them on this board for two terms. The fact that the people of Midlothian trusted me to be their voice and make decisions for our community, I never took that lightly and never looked at it through the lens of my next political move because for me it wasn’t about politics.
I listened a lot and learned a lot, and I think we’ve made incredible strides over the past seven years. I’m grateful for the expertise and dedication of the professional staff that serves the residents and businesses of Chesterfield and honored to be part of the work that has been done. I’m particularly optimistic about projects we’ve undertaken like Stonebridge, which began before my time on the board but is coming to full development, and now Spring Rock Green, Meadowville Technology Park and Upper Magnolia Green, to create opportunities for our future generations to live, work and raise families in the county. That’s what this is all about.
I had a unique opportunity to see what is happening in other jurisdictions across Virginia when I ran for statewide office last year. Let me assure you we have so much going for us in Chesterfield. We are making inroads on much-needed public infrastructure, are poised to build on that progress through November’s bond referendum, and have approved historic investments in teacher and public safety pay that are helping us recruit and retain thousands of key front-line employees. While there is no such thing as perfect, and you never know the next challenge we might encounter, Chesterfield is positioned for lasting success with our resilient economy, safe neighborhoods, excellent schools and a growing, diverse community.
It’s difficult to pinpoint one thing from my time on the board that I’m proudest of. There have been so many things over the course of seven years. The list really goes on and on. But the ability to forge relationships in the community and facilitate meaningful dialogue among so many people and groups that represent different interests … I’m proud to have brought so many of these voices together to find the best way forward for Chesterfield.
I’m a firm believer that when there is respectful disagreement, that creates pathways to mutual understanding. If you can be open-minded and consider there are valid opinions other than your own, it only brings about more thoughtful outcomes. We had many great, collaborative conversations as a board and with staff, and I’m certainly going to miss that part. But Chesterfield is home. I’ll still be an active part of this community and the next chapter of life will give me a chance to view public service through a different prism. That’s certainly something to be excited about.
I feel very confident, as I leave this position today and step into my next venture, about the board members I’ve had the honor to serve with and their continued commitment to the citizens. I just want to say thank you to every single one of you for the support you put in me and the trust you had in the work that I’ve done. I have all the faith that this is going to continue with your next board member. Thank you so very much.”
Video of Haley’s statement is available here.