PRINCE EDWARD — Jerry Townsend will seek the Leigh District Board of Supervisors seat in the November 5 election.

Townsend, a 1977 graduate of Prince Edward High School and a graduate of Southside Virginia Community College with an Associate Degree in the Administration of Justice, detailed in a release that he is a certified corrections manager through the American Correctional Association. He began working for the Department of Corrections in 1979 and is currently assigned to the Halifax Correctional Unit as Superintendent. Townsend added that he has taken many leadership management classes since being employed by the department.

Townsend, the Democratic Party candidate, is a licensed realtor (currently inactive) and one of the neighborhood watch captains in the Virso community. He is a member of New Bethel Baptist Church, where he serves as a deacon and a member of the community male chorus. He offers that he is very family oriented and enjoys playing sports in his spare time and working in the church and community.

Townsend says he believes that all people should have voice, meaning they should be able to express themselves and have input in the decision-making process for the Leigh District. He also believes that all citizens should be valued and county resources should be maximized.

He also cited three areas of focus: public safety, education and economic growth.

“I will represent the citizens of Leigh District and Prince Edward County in a professional, respectful, moral, and ethical manner by: promoting personal, professional, and economic growth, creating an environment where all people are valued, listing to the ‘VOICE’ of all citizens, [and] by assisting in utilizing Prince Edward County resources to make it the best it can be for everyone,” he stated in a release.

Townsend was born in the Leigh District of Prince Edward in March of 1959 and has remained a lifetime resident of the district. He is married to Michelle Townsend, who is employed by the Prince Edward County School system. They have one daughter, Chelsie, a senior at Prince Edward County High School.