Dinwiddie County 2024 Candidates

Meagan Haire Abbey

For most of her life, Meagan Haire Abbey felt her calling in life was to lead a classroom—not an entire town.

Abbey resides in McKenney [located roughly 30 miles southwest of Richard Bland College (RBC) of William & Mary], a town that spans about one square mile with a population of 480.

After teaching for roughly 10 years in Dinwiddie County Public Schools, Abbey decided to establish her own childcare center, Stepping Stone Academy. This inspired her to be a more active participant in Dinwiddie’s local government. She served on the county’s Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

After several years of service, Abbey was empowered to invoke change in her own backyard. She struck up a conversation with a friend about her frustrations with McKenney’s government. She felt it wasn’t adequately representing its constituents—so she decided to do something about it.

On Sept. 10, 2020, Abbey put in her bid for mayor—roughly a month before election day. The community and her loved ones rallied behind her campaign because she promised to dismantle the old guard and breathe new life into the town.

33 days later, Abbey made history. She became the town’s first woman mayor. She’s since been re-elected and is hoping to go for her third consecutive term.

Among Abbey’s top objectives as mayor is to improve daily operation services for residents, as well as the town’s technology and web capabilities—such as giving residents the ability to pay their utility bills online. She’s also been intentional about empowering her underrepresented constituents.

Abbey was born and raised in Dewitt, roughly six miles northeast of McKenney. Her father, Charles Haire Jr., an RBC alumnus and first-generation college student, strongly encouraged her to attend the college.

Abbey graduated with her associate’s degree in arts in 2005 then transferred to Longwood University. She would later receive her bachelor’s from the university and her Pre-K to sixth grade teaching license shortly after.

Stepping Stone Academy, which is nearing its 10th year in business, has been very successful and has been a godsend to underserved families in the area. Namely, during the early years of the COVID-19 outbreak, Abbey helped families secure state funding to cover their child’s tuition.

RBC wholly believes in preparing its students for a lifetime of endless potential. Since leaving the college, Abbey has impacted the lives of hundreds of people—young and old alike. She’s a beacon of hope and lover of community. She has traversed several unexpected avenues in her life. But with her North Star grounded in hope, community, and service, she landed right where she needed to be. In her wake, she’s always left spaces better than she found them.