A Definition of Commitment: Gerry Spates’ Celebrates Forty Years

For 40 years now, Gerald Spates has played a pivotal role in maintaining the smooth operation of the town of Farmville. The responsibilities of a Town Manager are various and sundry; ranging from diminutive to major. Over the years, Gerry, as he is better known around town, has taken all of those responsibilities on with a confidence and vigor that marked him  early on as the man for the job. Today, after more than a generation of his service to the town of Farmville, the realization of what it will take to fill his shoes has no doubt crossed the mind of more than one, if not every one, of the council members he works with so well.

When asked in a past interview, (Green, K. Rotunda, 2012) what quality or qualification helped him most in his position as Town Manager, Gerry looked back to his experience in the military as his greatest advantage. His years in Army Officers Candidate School, and consequent duty as a combat engineer stationed at Fort Belvoir in Alexandria, Va. and then as an advisor to several public works departments in South Vietnam, made him uniquely qualified to tackle the numerous projects that have been completed in the Town over the years without the use of outside contractors.

Farmville continues to grow today under the combined, knowledgeable guidance of Town Manager Gerry Spates and a Town Council that is currently headed by Mayor David Whitus. The measure of cooperation is mutual, and perhaps their greatest strength. Additionally, all eyes are focused on the future of the town. A good example of this focus is the 2010 opening of the Farmville Immigration Center, estimated to have been a $21 million project. The positive economic impact of the Center on the town and surrounding economies measures in the millions of dollars. Another example is the construction of a Class 2 burn building to train firefighters. Longwood’s university status remains a large catalyst for the growth of Farmville as the historical institution of higher learning continues, even today, to expand.

Commitment, as defined by Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary is: “dedication to a long term course of action; engagement, involvement.” February 27th will mark the 40th anniversary of Gerald Spates’ undeniable and unfaltering commitment to the growth of the Town of Farmville and care for its residents. It will be a well-deserved celebration.