By Taylor Boyd
The Stuart Town Council unanimously voted to appoint David Hoback to fill the vacant seat left by John “Mac” Deekens’ departure.
Hoback, a former Patrick County Administrator, will attend his first council meeting on Wednesday, September 15.
Hoback said he decided to throw his hat in the running to fill the empty seat to continue helping his community.
“Now that I am no longer employed, I am retired as of July 1 of this year, I have some additional time on my hands. I have some relevant background and experience that I feel I can make some contributions to the future of the town and the business of the town council,” he said.
While he feels like the council doesn’t necessarily need his help, Hoback said he welcomes the opportunity to serve and contribute in a positive way.
Hoback said he does not have any hard and fast goals he wishes to pursue at this time.
“I plan to do a whole lot of listening when I start out,” he said, adding he is going into the position with an open mind and will rely upon the wisdom of the other council members while he learns more about the inner workings of the town.
While he is formulating thoughts and ideas to improve the quality of life within the town, Hoback also welcomes input and suggestions from town residents.
“I think there’s some resources and some opportunities to move the town forward that has not been there previously due to a lot of funding constraints and overwhelming need to update and improve the town’s water and sewer infrastructure,” he said.
Hoback graduated from Radford University with a degree in political science and from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a M.A. in public administration.
He worked for Patrick County for 19 years, 16 as the county administrator and three as the Special Projects Director. After leaving that post, Hoback spent 11 years as a Human Resources Director at Roto Metrics in Meadows of Dan, and then served six years as the Executive Director of the West Piedmont Planning Commission. He retired from that post on July 1.
Hoback, who has lived in Stuart since 1985, is a member and Elder of the Stuart Presbyterian Church and a board member of the Charles Powell Education Foundation. In his free time, he enjoys reading, taking walks, and watching sports.
