I started covering the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors in April 2018, and the board’s next open meeting will be a significant one to me. It will be the first time I have covered the board with a new supervisor that is replacing one I had covered previously.

I never had the opportunity to cover longtime Supervisor Howard Simpson before his passing. His seat was notably vacant when I started, and then Gene A. Southall became the Farmville 101 District supervisor.

The transition affecting the board more recently involved the departure of Buffalo District Supervisor C.R. “Bob” Timmons Jr. and the appointment of Llew Gilliam to take that seat.

All of the supervisors make comments during the course of the meetings, but I’ve noted that Timmons’ comments seemed to be more frequent, influenced by his business background.

The absence of that voice will be key, but I’ve gotten the clear sense from some of the other supervisors that the hope is that Gilliam will be able to offer similar input.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the tone and tenor of meetings may be altered with a new voice in the mix.

Titus Mohler is the sports editor for The Farmville Herald and Farmville Newsmedia LLC. His email address is Titus.Mohler@FarmvilleHerald.com.