VIRGINIA BEACH — The death of long-serving City Councilmember Louis Jones while campaigning last month means the new District 8 seat on the council is open this election year — and there are now three candidates who have filed to run to represent it.
Meanwhile, the City Council is accepting applications from citizens who want to represent the former Bayside District as an appointee completing the term Jones began under the former voting system.
Applications must be from residents of the Bayside District, which is different than District 8. They are due to the city by noon, Friday, July 8.
Jones died only a few days before the filing deadline — and shortly after he had decided to seek what would have been a ninth term.
Those who filed to run in District 8 before the Tuesday, June 21, cutoff are retired naval aviator John Andrews, auditor and financial fraud examiner Rona Marsh and businessperson Chris Taylor.
“If elected, I would be the voice of the people on council, and my actions would be supported by pillars of transparency, integrity and vision,” Andrews said in an interview.
He was raised in Little Neck, graduating from First Colonial High School before earning his undergraduate degree in hospitality management at Virginia Tech and, later, a master’s degree from the U.S. Naval War College.
After his undergraduate studies, Andrews worked in the restaurant industry. He eventually worked for the national Steak and Ale chain. An advertisement about naval aviation inspired his 30-year military career, he said. He was an aviator, including earning the Bronze Star in support of combat operations in Afghanistan, and he also served on the ground working with the Army in Iraq.
He said he also qualified as a surface warfare officer, which led to service as the assistant navigator aboard an aircraft carrier. Other assignments include the staff at U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Andrews retired as a captain, and he said the aircraft he flew, the E-2C Hawkeye, meant his career was spent flying out of Hampton Roads.
He retired in 2012 and was hired by the city of Norfolk in a role that eventually led to media attention. He was an assistant to the city manager, a military liaison who, in part, worked to transition military people into the workforce and keep sailors in Norfolk. Andrews raised an ethics concern about a program and was fired afterward. He sued.
Andrews said he could not discuss the matter due to a 2017 agreement in which Norfolk paid him $157,500. The Virginian-Pilot reported the settlement came after a judge said Andrews’ allegation that he had been retaliated against could proceed to trial. The city acknowledged no fault, The Pilot reported.
Andrews said he had success in helping military people transition when they get out while he was in Norfolk, and he has an understanding of workforce development issues.
Andrews now works for Military Sealift Command as a staff program manager for adaptive force packages.
“City Council is another call to serve and a new oath,” Andrews said.
Issues for his campaign include safety and crime in the district, affordable housing, preserving the health of the bay and addressing flooding and sea level rise. “I would encourage the city to partner with the Navy and Department of Defense with their efforts,” he said. “They understand the threats of sea level rise and have called it an operational threat. And we need to work together.”
Andrews said supporting “Virginia Beach’s great schools” and working with the School Board is important, and that he will communicate with and listen to citizens.
“I’m committed to being transparent with constituents and seeking input,” he said. “I commit to being up to date, to social media, newsletters, town halls. … There’s a reason you have two ears and one mouth.”
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