Barry Thompson steps back from his role as town manager of the Town of Vinton and looks back at the last five years.
Aila Boyd
Barry Thompson: “Vinton is a place you go to, not a place you go through."
Barry Thompson stepped back from his role as town manager of the Town of Vinton on July 31 after having served in the top job for five years. In total, he has devoted 16 years of his life to the town. Earlier in his career, he served as the finance director/treasurer for the town.
“I wanted to be able to be in the lead job so that I could work with the council. When I was hired, I told them I’d like to serve five years,” he says of why he wanted to become town manager in the first place. “I think we’ve accomplished a lot in those five years.”
Having spent many years in Vinton, Thompson said that he’s had a front row seat to all of the changes that the town has undergone. “I’ve seen the town change in many respects,” he says.
One major change, he says, has been the recent revitalization of the downtown corridor. The goal of increasing foot traffic in the downtown area has been aided by the change of wayfinding signs, which now send people into the town instead of out of it.
“Vinton is a place you go to, not a place you go through,” Thompson says.
In 2015, the library moved to its current downtown location. Also, the Vinton Farmers Market received a facelift.
“We’ve increased activities to bring more people to the downtown area,” he says, referencing the Mingle at the Market concerts that the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce organizes. “We now have a higher synergy of all of the activities that we’re having.”
Thompson explains that partnerships between the town, Roanoke County and the private sector have helped Vinton grow from a development perspective. He points to the development of the Roland E. Cook Apartments, the opening of a Macado’s in 2018, the opening of the Lancerlot Sports Complex in 2018, the opening of the Billy Byrd Apartments, the Vinyard Station project and the opening of Rosie’s Gaming Emporium in 2019 as major new developments.
“We’ve had a lot of movement on those type of developments,” he says.
Rosie’s in particular, he says, has been a major boon for the town. Money the town is receiving from the historic horse racing machine location is helping fund capital improvement programs.
“So many different things have happened in the last five years. We’ve been blessed,” he says. “Vinton is taking on a new life.”
Thompson attributes the economic growth to the vision of the town council and the hard work of the town staff. “We’ve been very fortunate to attract the right people,” he says.
Going forward, he thinks that the town will continue to invest in its infrastructure, specifically its greenways and roads. Walnut Avenue, one of the major corridors going into Roanoke from the town, will likely see improvements for vehicles and pedestrians. Also, Mountain View Road will be rebuilt through the town’s revenue sharing program with the Virginia Department of Transportation, which will use funds gained from Rosie’s Gaming Emporium.
“Infrastructure, housing and community developments projects is the direction I see the town going in the future,” he says.
He adds that the redevelopment of the historic Gish’s Mill, which is featured in the town’s seal, will continue to be a key project for the town. “It’s a very viable project,” he says. “Grant money is going to help jumpstart it.”
Thompson’s love for Vinton runs deep. “Vinton holds a special place in my heart. I have a lot of family who lived here,” he says. In addition to his parents having lived in Vinton, his aunt was a realtor and uncle used to own a business in the town. “When I came back 16 years ago, I wanted to see Vinton grow. I’ve always felt that it is the best kept secret in the valley.”
Prior to coming to Vinton, the Roanoke native spent time working as the finance director, assistant to the city manager and assistant city manager for the City of Bedford when it still was a city. In total, he has been a public servant for 30 years.
Before going into government service and in between his time in Bedford and Vinton, he dealt with software and finance in the private sector.
Although his official retirement date isn’t until December 31, Thompson now using his accumulated leave to spend time with his wife.
Pete Peters, the assistant town manager/economic development director, became acting town manager on August 1. He has been with the town for four and a half years.
About the Author:
Aila Boyd is an educator and journalist who resides in Roanoke. She holds an MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University.