Former Spotsylvania County Administrator C. Douglas (Doug) Barnes has been appointed interim Stafford County Administrator by the Stafford Board of Supervisors.
Barnes will fill the position vacated by Anthony Romanello, who is taking a position as Deputy County Manager in Henrico County. The Board of Supervisors plans to name a permanent County Administrator by January 2017, according to Shannon Howell, Stafford County public information officer.
“We are very appreciative of Anthony Romanello’s guidance and leadership and wish him the best in his new endeavor,” said Chairman of the Stafford Board of Supervisors Bob Thomas, George Washington District.
“We were fortunate to have several excellent candidates for interim county administrator,” Thomas said. “The board felt Doug Barnes is a great fit for Stafford in terms of his local government experience and concern for employees. We are confident he will make our transition to a new county administrator as seamless as possible, without the business of government skipping a beat.”
Doug Barnes served Spotsylvania County for 38 years. Initially hired in 1977 as Landfill Supervisor, he then served as Director of Solid Waste Management from 1986 to 1992. He was Director of Public Works from 1992 through 1998; Director of General Services from 1998 through 2003; and Interim County Administrator, Interim Deputy County Administrator and Deputy County Administrator from 2003 to 2008. He became County Administrator in October of 2009. He retired in May 2015.
Barnes has been active in the Spotsylvania community through his past volunteer work with the fire department, rescue squad and as an EMT. He has a B.A. degree in economics, with a minor in business administration, from Lynchburg College. He is married, and is the father of four children and nine grandchildren.
Anthony Romanello’s last day with Stafford County will be Friday, Aug. 19, 2016. Barnes will start work on Monday, Aug. 15, and assume county administrator duties on the afternoon of August 19.
