Colonial Heights Candidates
City Council
Len Hall
I'm a long time resident of Colonial Heights, Graduated from Colonial Heights High School, I have 20 + years experience as a Registered Nurse (JTCC / University of Phoenix) and 25 years as a paramedic/ firefighter and Lieutenant with the local Fire Department, I work to fight Human Trafficking at many levels, I'm trained as a victim witness advocate to better serve each victim. I want to see our city grow, I want more interest in our community from it's citizens, I want to promote small businesses to work together and form bonds to help both grow and flourish in our community.I want to find ways to cut taxes with without causing hardships to our city, I want the city to explore grants from both local and federal levels to make this possible.I will support our law enforcement by helping build more effective neighborhood watch programs, I will help to fund specific police programs to educate and empower our community. I want to explore ways to reduce crime and revitalization of our community is important to bring citizens to back Colonial Heights both to live and to shop, I want to give tax breaks to first time home owners and new small business, by doing this we will make Colonial Heights attractive again and will begin economic growth.
Craig Skalak
I am excited to be a candidate for Colonial Heights City Council and to continue serving our city.
I am proud to run on my work record with the City, my years of volunteer service, and my
sincere desire to continue working for our community.
I am a lifelong resident of Colonial Heights and graduated from Colonial Heights High School in
1978. After working for a local family-owned small business for approximately 10 years,
Community Sporting Goods, I accepted a position with the City of Colonial Heights’ Recreation
& Parks Department in 1989. I served my initial 20 years as Recreation Superintendent and my
primary responsibility was administering youth and adult athletic programs. I was promoted to
Director in 2010 and led the department's seven divisions for the past 15 years (Recreation,
Parks, Community Center, Building Maintenance, Horticulture, Youth & Human Services and
Violet Bank Museum) until my August 1, 2024 retirement.
Additionally, I have volunteered or served in a number of capacities during my tenure to
include;
● Colonial Heights Kiwanis member and board member. Responsible for the Terrific Kids
program at CHPS elementary schools and the annual City Cleanup. 2023 Kiwanian of the
year.
● Previous Colonial Heights Food Pantry board member for 7 years.
● Former Old Brick House Foundation board member.
● Current and longtime Chamber of Commerce Turkey Trot volunteer.
● Served on the City’s Beautification Committee and Senior Citizens Advisory Committee
from 2010 through July 2024.
● Volunteer coach; baseball, basketball, football, softball and soccer. Coached 45+ teams
and approximately 500+ Colonial Heights boys and girls.
As Director;
● Consistently stayed within the department’s $3m - $4m annual budget during my 15
years as director.
● Worked closely with City leadership and A&E consultants with the Violet Bank Museum
Historic Structure Report, Phase I renovation and the soon to begin Phase II preservation
project.
● New Tennis/Pickleball courts at CHMS and CHHS (partnership with CHPS).
● New Lakeview Park Pickleball Courts (50/50 grant with National Parks Service).
● Maddie’s Magnificent Play Park at White Bank Park; partnership with the Maddie Mann
Foundation for the all-inclusive/barrier free playground where children of all abilities can
play together.
● New restroom facilities at White Bank Park.
● New playground equipment at Wakefield Park, Lakeview Park and Flora M. Hill Park.
● Shepherd Stadium revitalization; new sound system, scoreboard, in-ground dugouts,
padded outfield wall and backstop, new brick backstop and exterior façade and
ornamental fencing/gates, grandstand folding chair back seating and total playing field
renovation.
● Took over management of the annual Christmas Parade and Fort Clifton Festival.
● Tri-City Chili Peppers; worked closely with team owners and City leadership with the
agreement to bring the Chili Peppers to Shepherd Stadium.
While I don’t have a particular agenda, I do want to have discussions with the City Manager and
appropriate department directors regarding;
● Colonial Heights is a landlocked city; eight square miles and a population of
approximately 18,000 residents. Let’s look at options to attract young people and small
businesses to the City.
● Southpark Mall; the mall is a significant revenue source for the City and has outlived a
typical mall lifespan. If/when the mall fails, what are the consequences?
● Revisit a responsible mixed use concept to revitalize the mall and bring young
professionals to Colonial Heights.
● Colonial Heights has a residential rental rate at approximately 35%. Let’s discuss bringing
back a rental inspection program that protects tenants, ensures single family dwellings
are being occupied by single familys’ only, while enforcing code enforcement violations
to assure neighboring residential property values are preserved.
● Maximize the popularity and excitement of the Chili Peppers and their plans to bring
off-season music and cultural events to Shepherd Stadium, and in coordination with the
soon to be constructed Fall Line Trail (Ashland to Petersburg trail) to bring tourism
dollars to the City.
● Increase and enforce fines for illegal fire lane parking, handicap parking and littering.
I am sincerely committed to continuing my service to the citizens of Colonial Heights and want
to encourage residents to get involved in our community. While we may not always agree on
the outcome, I promise to be responsive and listen.
Tricia Palmer
While I am not from Colonial Heights, my family has both lived in or around this community most of our lives. My husband, Mark, and I have been married for 22 years. We share 5 kids, 3 of whom graduated from Colonial Heights High School. My husband was born and raised in Colonial Heights. Together, we started a business called B&T Towing in 2013, with Colonial Heights as our home base, and since then, we have expanded to multiple different surrounding localities. I coached soccer for CHSA for over 10 years and served on its board of directors as the Director of Coaches and as Vice President. I also have been a member of the Colonial Heights Kiwanis club for 10 years, where I served as both President and Head of Fundraisers. I organize all of our major events and have done so for the past 5 years. I also serve as a board member in the SOVA Chamber of Commerce and organize their Reverse Raffle and this year's Best of the Best event.
I believe this city has so much underlying potential and all we need is the right people to bring that potential forward. There has been no change in business growth from 2022-2023. We want new businesses to lay down roots in this little city and be able to grow and thrive here, just like mine did back in 2013. However, to do that we need new people and families willing to settle down here, and with the cost of rent, it’s near impossible. Even those local to the city have a tough time finding and keeping something sustainable, whether it be a commercial or residential property. I will strive to get tax breaks for our residents, both new and old, on commercial properties and beginning businesses. With new local businesses coming into the city, our infrastructure and economic development will boom, and leave an opening for even more success going forward.
With my experience in running a small business, I have an understanding of profit and loss and cutting expenses where it is necessary to. In addition to our business plans, I would also like to put an emphasis on public safety, namely our police and fire departments. I believe we should support them and offer the best help we can employee retention and making our own officers and fireman feel appreciated in the city they protect.
My family and I are completely invested in our little city. We not only want to see it grow but we want to keep that small town feel that we love!
Make a great Choice.
Brad Slaybaugh
I've had the pleasure of calling Colonial Heights home for most of my life. My family moved to Colonial Heights in 1971 when my dad was stationed at what was then Fort Lee. When he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1980, after 27 years of active duty, we moved to Dinwiddie, where I graduated in 1984. In 1993, I married my wife of 31 years, Debbie Strother Slaybaugh. When our twin daughters Haley and Kellie were born in 1994, we decided to move back to Colonial Heights. We knew it would be a fantastic place to raise our family. In 2000, we had our third daughter, Casie. Our daughters all attended and graduated from Colonial Heights schools, and went on to receive master degrees. Haley and Kellie are currently teaching in Chesterfield, and Casie is working on her PhD at VCU.
Over the past 30 years living in Colonial Heights, I’ve watched the slow downward trend the city has experienced. I feel the frustration of knowing my children currently don’t want to live in Colonial Heights. Ask yourself, What does Colonial Heights have to offer the younger generation? As older residents, we’ve grown up with the city, and it can be difficult to see the needs of the next generation. We all travel to other areas and similar cities, seeing vibrant communities and city centers. I see an effort and desire to create and maintain bustling areas for citizens that attract young people. I see excitement, and I ask myself too often, why them and not us. This very observation has caused me to do something I never thought I'd do: run for an elected office.
I ask all of you to take some time one day to ride around our GREAT historical city, but do it with a critical eye. Think of our city name, Colonial Heights. We have an amazing history, and not many cities in this great country can claim that. We need to honor that history and improve our city. We need to work on maintaining our history while looking forward to the future.
The Chilli Peppers have been a great addition to the city and Shepard Stadium looks great from the outside; however, the restrooms are exactly the same as when I played in the BIB tournament 45 years ago. This is the type of problem I’m talking about when I say we need to preserve our past while securing our future!
We are fortunate to have a top-notch first responder force, and their leadership is doing a lot of great things to protect our city. We have many tenured employees, but many have recently retired and more retirements are to come. We have to attract employees that are willing to stay. We train new employees, and lose them to other localities with higher pay. If, our employees are the priority we say they are, we need to show them that! We need a better comprehensive pay plan.
When you ask something of city leadership, there are usually two easy answers for them to give. “No” and “that will raise taxes." Saying no, means nothing has to actually be done, and taxes certainly don’t have to be raised. We need to look at things differently. We need to make sure we are being financially responsible with the revenue we are given, and that we are collecting all the taxes that are due.
We also need to be more aggressive in our economic development sector. As a city, we need to form private/public partnerships and relationships. We have a wealth of local and regional talent in real estate, business, and redevelopment. We desperately need some redevelopment, and we need to maximize our growth in a smart direction. We only have so much area to work with, so we need a broad range of ideas and input to ensure we are making the best decisions for the future of our city.
While this may sound like I’m complaining, it's far from that. I’m offering to roll up my sleeves and get in the fight. I am offering to work, to help us realize our city's potential, and make it a great place that our children want to move back to. I understand that being on the City Council is a bigger commitment than showing up for a meeting twice a month. I need your help to do that. Please, attend the various forums coming up between now and election day, and be my guest at one of my personal campaign events that we'll be listing on my Facebook page, “Brad Slaybaugh for Colonial Heights City Council."
Please vote in this critical year for our city, state, and country. I appreciate your consideration, and I would be honored to have your vote. Early voting starts on September 20th, and election day is on November 5th.
T. Gregory Kochuba
I was elected to Colonial Heights City Council in November 2012, currently serving in the capacity of Mayor since January 2015.
Through my public service on City Council, I strive to provide leadership to our community and to council by:
- utilizing my strong financial background to create a fiscally responsible budget and execution
- developing an in-depth understanding of city needs and operations
- creating strong collaborative community partnerships.
As Mayor, I serve on the Board of Directors of Virginia Gateway Region, Crater Workforce Development, Capital Region Red Cross, and Richmond Regional Tourism. Each of these organizations provide a network of relationships that collectively support our city economically.
For over 36 years, I worked for the Department of Defense where I gained extensive experience in finance, budgeting, accounting, auditing and economic forecasting. I’m a graduate of King’s College, in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. I am also a Certified Defense Financial Manager (CDFM).
I believe it is vitally important to elect city council members who have a wide range of professional and practical experience in order to creatively solve problems, cast vision, and think outside the box for growth opportunities. I enjoy building relationships with community members, community businesses, and community partners to meet needs and create meaningful opportunities for the citizens of Colonial Heights.
Robert W. "Bobby" Wade
I am a dedicated public servant and life-long resident of Colonial Heights. I am married to Teresa Ingo Wade for 29 years and we have two children Robbie Wade and Ryan Blair Martin. We have three grandchildren; Lexie, Kaylee and Colton. I am an active member of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, a United States Army Reserve Veteran and member of the American Legion Post 284. For relaxation I enjoy spending time with my family and vacationing on the beaches of South Carolina.
I graduated from Colonial Heights High School in 1971 and obtained an Associates in Insurance Claims, (AIC) for Commercial, Liability, Property & Contract Law from the University of Richmond. My career includes 44 years of successful claim handling as a Senior Claims Analyst, Claims Supervisor & Catastrophe Claim Manager. I founded two private very successful companies; ClaimCo Services, Inc. and RWW Properties, LLC both in Colonial Heights.
In 2020, I was elected to Council serving a four year term. In 2022, I was elected to serve as Vice Mayor, my present position. I also am presently serving on the Colonial Heights Planning Commission and the City Beautification Committee. Prior to becoming a member of city council I served as the Chairman of the Colonial Heights Economic Development Authority.
My vision is to further grow our economic market with additional new businesses to enhance the posture of our city to become the “Economic Hub” for the tri-city area. As Chairman of the Economic Development Authority I recommended pursuing higher-end restaurants to accompany what we presently have and to actively market to Fort Gregg-Adams where there are (75,000) troops and support staff who seek higher quality homes and our education offerings. I advocated for the addition of an Economic Authority Web-site to better market our city locally and nationally as we have major interstates at our doorstep. I accomplished this web-site addition during my term as a council member.
On the Planning Commission, I advocated for changes in the city to improve and protect our home values. My code change recommendation included “Blight and Clutter” for properties that negatively affect our neighborhoods. On council, I was successful in achieving this code change to encourage better living conditions for all. Each year of my council term I have also personally ridden throughout the city with the Planning Director, City Manager and code enforcement inspector for property code compliance.
Regarding financial stability, on council I suggested and obtained approval for issuance of a $6 million dollar bond for necessary future expenditures when at the time, interest rates were two and a half percent. Realizing on the horizon, interest rates would increase, which they are presently in the six and a half percent range we achieved a savings to the city of many thousands of dollars in interest for the term, for fiscal responsibility. This was accomplished without any negative change in the city’s credit rating.
I authored a comprehensive plan receiving unanimous council approval to improve the appearance of the “Roundabout” with the addition of lighted flag poles flying US, State and City Flags. These flags will be lighted with color changing lens for special holiday and celebration times of the year. Small nursery plantings would also be added.
My plan further includes enhanced changes around the “Pond Area” at the entrance/off ramp of I-95 close to the roundabout. Removal of dead and diseased tree and brush growth from around the pond perimeter and installation of a large “Colonial Heights” sign on the hillside which will be visible from several views entering and exiting I-95. The sign will be lighted as well with color changing lenses which will project a welcome atmosphere to our city and promote further economic growth.
Also included is the installation of a large lighted water fountain inside the pond that will also be lighted with various spray patterns. Low maintenance plantings on three sides of the hill toward the pond will be added as well.
This plan for permit approval was submitted to the State Department of Transportation over two years ago and I am aggressively pursuing approval and will continue to do so until we receive approval.
Daniel J. LaLonde
A native of Colonial Heights, I graduated from Colonial Heights High School in 2011. I subsequently earned degrees from Liberty University (2015) and the University of Richmond School of Law (2024). Before law school, I gained valuable experience in the banking industry for approximately six years. Upon passing the bar exam, I plan to focus on criminal defense, advocating for individuals who cannot afford legal representation.
My family roots run deep in Colonial Heights. My parents have resided in the same home for over three decades, and both my older brothers graduated from Colonial Heights High School. We have been active members of the Heights Baptist Church (formerly Colonial Heights Baptist Church) since before my birth. Additionally, I met my wife, Margo Kollman (now LaLonde), during our high school years. In 2021, we returned to the place that raised us, and have since become re-emersed in the city. In short, my goal is to bring our city back to life by focusing on safety, community, and fellowship. My dream is to create a city full of camaraderie, where people know their neighbors and stay to raise their families. Hence my slogan," Bring back trick or treating.” This community holds a special place in our hearts, and I am committed to serving you as your dedicated representative to the city.
Three of my top priorities are as follows,
- Balancing Housing Options
A crucial element of a thriving city is a diverse and accessible housing market. We must pursue a two-pronged approach: expanding the availability of rental units and ensuring a steady supply of homes for purchase when residents are prepared for ownership. Many families seeking to establish roots in our community need more available homes but lack the availability due to investor acquisition.
- Parks and Recreation
Colonial Heights boasts fantastic parks and river access, yet its full potential must be explored. Strategic investment is crucial to transform these spaces into vibrant recreational hubs. This will enhance residents' quality of life and foster a stronger sense of community.
- Competitive Compensation for City Employees
To foster talent retention, a critical aspect of any successful organization, the city must prioritize competitive compensation for its employees, including teachers, police, firefighters, and other essential personnel. This should involve benchmarking salaries against surrounding localities and national averages to ensure we offer a competitive package that attracts and retains top talent.
Tricia L. Palmer
Brad E. Slaybaugh
Colonial Heights Candidates
School Board
Debbie Mayes Walwer
A lifelong resident of Colonial Heights, I have had the privilege of watching our community grow and evolve. After graduating from Colonial Heights High School, I pursued a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Longwood University.
My passion for teaching led me to a successful career in Colonial Heights Public Schools. For 26 years, I taught fourth and fifth grade at Lakeview Elementary School, sharing my love of learning with countless students. During this time, I also had the opportunity to serve as a Summer School Administrator and intern in the School Administration Office.
To enhance my expertise, I earned a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Instructional Technology from Capella University. This advanced training equipped me to guide teachers in integrating technology into their instructional practices. I served as an Educational Technology Coach for Colonial Heights Public Schools for 16 years.
Even after retiring in 2021, my commitment to education has remained strong. I have continued my involvement in education as an adjunct instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University's Department of Teaching and Learning. I also substitute for Colonial Heights Public Schools in the Transportation Department.
My deep roots in Colonial Heights, coupled with my extensive experience in education, make me uniquely qualified to serve on the School Board. I am eager to contribute my knowledge and passion to ensure our students receive the highest quality education possible.
Joseph O. "Joe" Cox
To have so many outstanding candidates running for elective office in Colonial Heights and willing to give back to our city in the form of public service is a testament to all. I feel fortunate to be included among them.
I grew up in Colonial Heights. I attended North Elementary School, Colonial Heights Junior High School (CHJHS) and graduated from Colonial Heights High School (CHHS) in 1972. I was a classroom teacher at CHJHS and CHHS, where I taught Virginia History, United States History, Civics and United States Government from 1976-1985.
I was Superintendent of Schools in Colonial Heights from 2001-2019. I also served as the Interim Superintendent of Colonial Heights Schools from March through June of 2023.
While Superintendent, I was a member of the Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce, Mayor’s Economic Development Council and Colonial Heights Education Foundation for Excellence. My brother Kirk Cox and I coached Colonial Heights Recreation Baseball for many years.
I am married to Marianne, the love of my life. We have three children: Jackson, Sophie and Carson. We are a family of educators. My mother, Margaret Cox, also taught at CHHS for many years.
I am very grateful for the opportunities that Colonial Heights Schools and the City of Colonial Heights have provided for me and my family. I am running for the School Board to contribute in helping Colonial Heights Schools continue to move forward, in a way that benefits all.
If I am privileged enough to be elected, I would look forward to working with teachers, staff, students, parents, administrators, other School Board members and City Council members to achieve that goal.
Joe Cox
“A Dedicated and Experienced Educator”