Peter Stephenson has more than 30 years of experience in local government, much of it as manager of the Town of Smithfield. Since 2018, he has been sharing his experience with members as VRSA’s local government specialist, providing guidance to local government leaders at no additional cost.
In this position, Stephenson provides members with:
- Updates and information on emerging risks and challenges in local government finance, budgeting, and compliance;
- Leadership consulting;
- Council/manager governance;
- Community relationship management;
- Ethics;
- Strategic planning; and
- Effective service delivery.
Stephenson also attends regional planning district commission meetings and is active with organizations such as the Virginia Local Government Management Association, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), the Virginia Municipal League, the Virginia Association of Counties, the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions, the Virginia Local Government Finance Network, and the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association.
Common issues Stephenson assists with include professional and leadership development, council-manager and staff relationships, ethics, and strategic planning.
“I really enjoy connecting members with resources related to governance,” said Stephenson. “Listening to their needs, then assisting personally or referring them in the right direction is fulfilling.”
Stephenson has championed continuing education for local government managers, including through the use of Risk Management Grant funds to support professional management, leadership, and governance.
Since 2020, VRSA has provided more than $60,0000 in Risk Management Grant funding to members to provide for continuing education and training. Recipients have used these grants to attend programs such as the Graduate Certificate in Local Government Management at Virginia Tech, to attend the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service’s Leading, Educating, and Developing (LEAD) program, the Senior Executive Institute (SE), and to take part in the Virginia Women’s Municipal Leadership Institute, and more.
As local governments face new and emerging challenges, Stephenson has been there to provide guidance. He has written articles on the regulations surrounding electric scooters, autonomous vehicles, potential revenue risks, ethics in government, and more.
He’s also provided personalized consultation in areas such as council-manager relations, compliance, budgeting, strategic planning, land use issues, training for appointed officials, and more.
For more information or to access Stephenson’s services, contact Peter at 800-963-6800.