ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – Mayor Sherman Lea is retiring after serving 20 years in the Star City of Roanoke.
Mayor Sherman Lea attended his last City Council meeting on Monday, December 16 after two terms as Roanoke City Mayor. He first announced his retirement in late 2023.
“It’s been a joy these 20 years. There’s been some ups, downs but overall, I’ve just been honored and blessed to work with some good people,” said Mayor Sherman Lea. “At times we wanted to get some things done, and we may not all agree on the same way to give that, but we wanted to make Roanoke a special place.”
Mayor Sherman Lea is also known for the Lea Youth Basketball League, which guided Roanoke during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was also at the helm when the Robert E. Lee Memorial was removed and eventually replaced with the statue of Roanoke Native Henrietta Lacks.
The next mayor is still waiting to be finalized.