Chesterfield swears in first Black and openly gay administrator
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Clerk of the Court Amanda Pohl and Kevin Catlin and his spouse, Nate, who is holding 21-day-old Beckett. Photo: Sabrina Moreno/Axios
Chesterfield swore in its first Black and openly gay county administrator on Monday, while his husband held the family Bible in one hand and their 21-day-old daughter in the other.
Why it matters: Kevin Catlin's appointment comes after a decade in which Chesterfield emerged as one of Virginia's fastest-growing counties, grew more racially diverse and shifted left at the ballot box.
Driving the news: Catlin, 36, took the oath at the historic 1917 Courthouse — the same place former county administrator Joe Casey was sworn in 10 years ago.
- Catlin previously led the much smaller Kalamazoo County in Michigan.
By the numbers: When Casey took over in 2016, Chesterfield had about 331,000 residents, per the Census, and backed Donald Trump for president.
- Now it nears 400,000 people, and while Gov. Youngkin won it in 2021, Chesterfield voters went for Democrats Joe Biden in 2020, Kamala Harris in 2024 and Gov. Spanberger in 2025.
- Democrats also won control of the Board of Supervisors in 2023 for the first time in recent history.
Plus: Since 2016, Chesterfield's Hispanic population has grown from 8% to 13% of residents, while the non-Hispanic white share fell from 63% to about 55%.
What they're saying: Catlin didn't share specifics on his plan for his first 100 days, but he's already identified two immediate priorities: integrating data centers into the community and addressing concerns around Shoosmith landfill.
- On Monday, Catlin pledged to "meet the future needs of our diverse, growing community" and said "today, there is no Chesterfield without Joe Casey."
- Meanwhile, Casey told Axios he's ready to give his successor room to lead.
- "I said, 'I'm here for you,'" Casey recalled telling Catlin. "I'm not the shadow. I'm the sunlight for you."