Updated 5/25/10

Education and experience are the common denominator with the four highest paid employees in Hanover County’s government and school system.

Dr. Stewart D. Roberson, division superintendent of Hanover County Public Schools, tops the salaries list at $194,828. He is followed by Cecil R. “Rhu” Harris Jr., county administrator, $188,288; Sterling E. Rives III, county attorney, $187,625; and Col. V. Stuart Cook, sheriff, $172,647.

Dr. Stewart D. Roberson, division superintendent of Hanover County Public Schools
When Roberson assumed the top position in the school district in 1995, he brought with him three degrees — B.S. History, M.Ed. Administration and Supervision, and Ed.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies — from the University of Virginia.

He had served as a superintendent in Falls Church before coming to Hanover and had taught middle school (algebra, debate, science and social studies). He had been a high school and middle school assistant principal, a middle/elementary school principal, director of Instruction, and assistant superintendent of Finance.

Today, after nearly 20 years, he is one of Virginia’s longest serving superintendents.

Governmental commissions Roberson is or has been involved with include: National Commission on Public School Standards, Joint Commission on Accountability for Excellence in Education in Virginia, Governor’s Commission on Day Care and Early Childhood, Virginia Report Card Committee (chair), Task Force on Enhancing the Teaching Profession, Task Force on Advancing Virginia’s Leadership Agenda, and State Superintendents’s Leadership and Policy Council.

Professionally, he is affiliated with Leadership Metro Richmond Board (chair) and United Way of Greater Richmond (Local Government and School co-chair). He is a member of the Board of Trustees of AdvancED (nation’s largest school accreditation agency), Advisory Board of Hanover Business Council of the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, VCU Metropolitan Educational Research Council, Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School Superintendent Steering Committee, and Advisory Board of Junior Achievement. He is a founding member of Region I Autism Education Consortium, ex-officio member of Hanover Education Foundation and a member of the Math Science Innovation Board.

Roberson was named the American Association of School Administrators Virginia Superintendent of the Year. He also has received the 2009 AdvancED National Excellence in Educational Leadership Award, Distinguished Educational Leadership Award-University Council of Educational Administration, and Virginia General Assembly Commendation. He is a life member of the Virginia Congress of Parents and Teachers.

Cecil R. “Rhu” Harris Jr., county administrator
Harris, a certified public accountant (CPA) and credential manager (CM), became county administrator in November 2004. He served in an interim capacity from June until November that year. He became employed by Hanover County in 1984 as the assistant director of Finance. In 1987, he was named director of Finance and held that position until 1994 when he served as assistant county administrator. He moved into the office of deputy county administrator in 1998.

He holds a bachelor of science in Accounting from the University of Richmond. His education also includes the Senior Executive Institute of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.

Harris serves as a member of the Leadership Metro Richmond Board, Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority and Research Park Corporation, Hanover/Ashland Liaison Committee, Greater Richmond Convention Center Authority, and Greater Richmond Partnership Inc.

He also has been involved with the Virginia Local Government Managers Association Board, Pamunkey Regional Jail Authority, United Way Local Government and Schools Campaign, and James River Certified Development Corporation Board.

He is a member of the International City/County Management Association, Virginia Local Government Management Association, and Government Finance Officers Association.

He is past president of the Virginia Government Finance Officers Association and a member of Leadership Metro Richmond’s Class of 1999.

Before joining county government, Harris was an accountant for various CPA firms and then served as controller for E.M. Todd Inc.

Sterling E. Rives III, county attorney
Rives has been county attorney since 1987. He received his juris doctor from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond. He holds a bachelor of arts in Ancient Languages from the Richmond College at the University of Richmond and a master’s in Latin from Duke University Graduate School.

His employment history also includes working for McCarthy, Roeder, Durrette & Davenport P.C. in Fairfax and Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand, Chartered, in Washington, D.C., as an associate attorney.

Professional affiliations include Local Government Attorneys of Virginia Inc., Virginia State Bar, Virginia Air Pollution Control Board, Virginia Association of Counties, UVA Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, and Virginia CLE (Continuing Legal Education). Rives has been a presenter at conferences and seminars for the Virginia Association of Counties, Weldon Cooper Center, and Virginia CLE.

Col. V. Stuart Cook, sheriff
Born in Richmond, Cook has spent the last 48 years in Hanover County. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a master’s degree in Administration of Justice and Public Safety. He also graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy.

Cook joined the Richmond Bureau of Police in 1965 and worked his way through the promotional system to the rank of major.

While with the Richmond Bureau of Police, he worked in every division and served as deputy chief of Investigative Operations for 12 years. The Investigative Operations Division included the Juvenile Division, Vice/Narcotics Division, Detective Division, and the Criminal Intelligence and Investigative Support and Street Crimes Divisions.

In 1970, Cook assisted in the formation of the Bureau’s Task Force. He established the Internal Affairs Division, where he was assigned the first Officer-in-Charge, in 1972. A year later, he was instrumental, in establishing the Bureau’s SWAT Team.

Cook was appointed to serve on the adjunct faculty at J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College in 1981. He served on staff and taught Police Science for nine years. He also was an adjunct faculty member for 10 years at VCU in the Administration of Justice and Public Safety Program.

He serves on the Advisory Board for Curriculum Development at the Community College for the Criminal Justice Program and on the Board of Directors at the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy.

Cook is a member of the Honorary Board for the Hanover Adult Care Center. He previously served on the center’s Board of Directors.

He is a member of the Hanover Ruritans and the Mechanicsville Businessmen’s Association.

Cook is Deputy District Grand Master of Masons for the 15th Masonic District and past Master of Metropolitan Lodge #11 and Washington-Henry Lodge #344 of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.

In 1990, Cook was appointed sheriff by Judge Richard H.C. Taylor. He has unanimously won re-election the past five elections.

* * *

In addition to Roberson, the following employees of Hanover County Public Schools receive six-figure incomes:
Wade A. Valentino, associate superintendent for Policy and Administration, $152,419;
Michael E. Thornton, assistant superintendent, Business & Operations, $139,000;
Charla S. Cordle, assistant superintendent, Human Resources, $145,000;
Jamelle S. Wilson, assistant superintendent, Instructional Leadership; $142,500;
Paul Vecchione, assistant superintendent, Student & Support Services, $135,580;
Stephen S. Baker, director, Curriculum & Instruction, $110,014;
Patricia W. Miller, director, Elementary Education, $106,000;
Dorothy W. Tate, director, Federal Programs & Leadership, $106,574;
Terry S. Stone, director, Finance, $113,000;
Carole U. O’Brien, director, Guidance, Research & Testing, $107,164;
Rosemarie T. Stocky, director, Instructional Support Services, $108,196;
Stanley B. Jones, director, School Safety & Hearing Review Officer, $116,154;
Robert D. Staley, director, Secondary Education, $111,000;
Theresa J. Hechler, director, Technology Services, $114,000;
Deborah Waters, principal, Kersey Creek Elementary School, $100,616;
Michael E. Bishop, principal, Lee-Davis High School, $105,000;
Jeffrey R. Crook, principal, Patrick Henry High School, $106,080;
Vincent L. D’Agostino, principal, Atlee High School, $115,124;
George F. Sadler III, principal, Hanover High School, $106,610;
Donald E. Latham, principal, Liberty Middle School, $106,633;
and Michael W. Werner, senior school psychologist, Atlee High School, $100,433.

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In addition to Harris, Rives and Cook, those making six figures in county government are:
A. Lisa Barker, deputy county attorney, $124,558;
Richard Bartell, chief building official, $102,867;
Kirk Baumbach, director of Information Technology, $125,000;
Marilyn Blake, assistant county administrator, $129,074 (Blake retired April 30);
Vivian Calkins-McGettigan, director of Finance, $120,000;
Joseph Casey, deputy county administrator, $145,034;
Ramon Chalkley, commonwealth attorney, $160,660;
Gary Craft, deputy director of Public Utilities, $118,234;
Michael Crescenzo, director of Planning, $131,638;
Frederick Crosby, director of Fire & EMS, $115,305;
Donna Douglas, director of Social Services, $131,512;
J. Michael Flagg, director of Public Works, $119,039;
Frank Hargrove, clerk of Circuit Court, $139,809;
Frank Harksen, director of Public Utilities, $147,554;
Thomas Harris, commissioner of Revenue, $129,487;
Philip Heins, director of Communications, $101,827;
Steven Herzog, deputy director of Public Works, $100,947;
David Hines, lieutenant colonel, $121,405;
John Hodges, deputy county administrator, $157,281;
Shannon Hoehl, chief deputy commonwealth attorney, $113,744;
Kelly Kapolka, acting director of Human Resources, $104,933;
George Kranitzky, controller, $101,090;
M. Scott Miller, treasurer, $129,283;
John Nelms, chief assessor, $109,765;
Asli Orhon, psychiatrist, $152,466;
Robert Sager, director of Parks & Recreation, $110,835;
Kathleen Seay, director of Internal Audit, $105,323;
Margaret Sellers, director of Clinical Services, $104,928;
Thomas Slaven, executive director of MH/MR/SA, $116,526;
James Taylor, acting assistant county administrator, $136,977;
David Van Gelder, chief of Operations & Maintenance, $104,037;
Dennis Walter, assistant county attorney, $101,478;
Jeffery Waters, acting deputy director of IT, $104,546;
Marc Weiss, director of Economic Development, $135,319;
Yvonne Wellford, assistant county attorney, $117,127;
Craig Williams, deputy director of Info Tech, $103,000;
and Lawrence Wright, director of Purchasing & General Services, $100,560.

For the list of salaries ($75,000 and up), visit http://www.mechlocal.com/index.php/data/.