Chesterfield County administrator to retire in 2026

Joseph P. Casey plans to retire July 1, 2026, the 10th anniversary of the day he went to work as Chesterfield County‘s administrator, according to a Tuesday announcement.

Under Casey’s leadership, Chesterfield landed major projects such as Lego Group‘s $1 billion toy factory, Commonwealth Fusion Systems‘ nearly $3 billion commercial fusion power plant and Danish electrolyzer manufacturer Topsoe‘s $400 million manufacturing plant.

Projects during Casey’s tenure represented $12 billion in capital investment and the addition of 10,200 jobs, while also expanding and diversifying the county’s commercial tax base, according to a county news release.

The fourth most populous county in Virginia, Chesterfield saw its population rise by 8.3% between 2020 and 2024. Over the past decade, the county has invested more than $1 billion in public facilities, including 12 new schools, three new fire stations and a new library.

In his role, Casey oversees more than 4,000 full-time employees and a $2.4 billion budget.

“No one works harder than Joe at taking Chesterfield forward,” Kevin Carroll, supervisor for the Matoaca District, said in a statement. “He truly cares about the community and understands the importance of improving service and infrastructure to provide the best place to live work and raise a family. He will be missed.”

As a public servant, Casey held many statewide leadership roles, including serving as president of the Virginia Local Government Management Association and the Virginia Government Finance Officers’ Association. He was also a member of the national GFOA’s executive board.

A CPA, Casey began his career as an accountant at KPMG, one of the Big Four accounting firms. In 1990, he took a job as deputy county manager for Hanover County, beginning a public service career that would last more than three decades.

In 2013, Casey moved to Henrico County, where he served as county deputy manager for more than three years before succeeding James J.L. Stegmaier as Chesterfield’s county administrator.

A graduate of the University of Richmond, Casey also earned a master of public administration and a doctorate in public policy from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Casey is retiring to focus on his personal life.

“The longing I have for time to spend with Suzanne, and to be more available for memories with my sons and their plus ones, plus the role of being a good caretaker son to an aging mother, has led me to the difficult decision to retire,” he said in a statement.

The Board of Supervisors will select Casey’s successor.