VA HJR134

George B. Hayes retired on January 1, 2026, after serving 10 years as director of the Chesterfield County Department of Utilities, which maintained a Triple-AAA bond rating while serving over 389,000 citizens

Hayes earned a civil engineering degree from Manhattan College in 1992, worked in New York City, then joined Henrico County in 1996 before moving to Chesterfield County in 2006

Led major infrastructure projects including a new water treatment plant on the tidal Appomattox River and advanced biological nutrient removal upgrades at Falling Creek and Proctors Creek wastewater treatment plants

Successfully managed the department through the 2025 Richmond water crisis, when Chesterfield remained the only large utility in the region with potable water

Received the A. H. Paessler Environmental Stewardship Award (2020) and a National Environmental Achievement Award for Utility Leadership (2022)