News Flash

(November 20, 2025) – Roanoke County Administrator Richard L. Caywood, P.E., today announced several senior leadership promotions and related organizational restructuring, effective immediately. Madeline Hanlon will assume the role of Assistant County Administrator; Laurie Gearheart will serve as Chief Financial Officer, and Jessica Beemer will become Director of Finance and Management Services.

The promotions follow the retirement of Deputy County Administrator Rebecca E. Owens after more than 33 years of public service. Assistant County Administrator Doug Blount was previously named Deputy County Administrator to fill the vacancy created by her retirement.

Madeline Hanlon currently serves as Roanoke County Director of Community Engagement / Assistant to the County Administrator, overseeing the County’s public information functions, Clerk to the Board of Supervisors, constituent services, as well as strategic planning. Hanlon began her career in local government as an intern with Franklin County while completing her undergraduate degree Business Administration at Roanoke College. After graduation she came to Roanoke County serving in a dual role as Deputy Clerk to the Board of Supervisors, and as a paralegal in the County Attorney’s Office. Hanlon then became the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors and Public Affairs Manager for Franklin County. After three and a half years with Franklin County, Hanlon returned to Roanoke County as Assistant to the County Administrator in 2022. Hanlon holds an MBA from Bowling Green State University, a graduate certificate in Local Government Management from Virginia Tech and she is also a Certified Municipal Clerk. In 2024, Hanlon was selected to serve on the Executive Board of the Virginia Local Government Management Association, and she is also a member of the International City/County Management Association. She was recognized in the Roanoke Valley’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2022 and represents Roanoke County on regional boards, including the Board and Executive Committee of Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare and the Local Office on Aging. She was also recently appointed to serve on the Community Policy and Management Team, the Regional Community Corrections Board, and the Regional Drug Court Advisory Board. This promotion represents an expansion of Ms. Hanlon’s current duties, and her existing role will not be replaced.

Laurie Gearheart has served Roanoke County for more than 20 years. First hired in 1993 as the County’s inaugural financial analyst, she later served 12 years as Assistant Director of Finance before becoming Director of Finance and Management Services in 2019. Gearheart holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, with a concentration in Accounting, from Roanoke College and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1993. Her career includes nine years in public accounting, service as Director of Business Operations for First Baptist Church, and three years as Controller for Hollins University before returning to the County in 2009. She is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), the Virginia GFOA, the Virginia Society of CPAs, and the American Institute of CPAs.

Jessica Beemer is a Virginia Tech graduate and Certified Public Accountant who has built her career in local government finance, serving as the County’s Assistant Director of Finance and Management Services since 2020. Previously, she served as Finance Manager for Roanoke County Public Schools where she earned national recognition as a 2019 Emerging Leader from the International Association of School Business Officials. Her leadership and contributions within the Roanoke region were further recognized when she was named to The Roanoker magazine’s Class of 2023 40 Under 40. She works with regional entities including the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection, the Western Virginia Regional Jail, the Roanoke Valley Greenways Commission, and the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority.

“In addition to these promotions reflecting the outstanding professionalism, dedication, and expertise that Madeline, Laurie, and Jessica bring to Roanoke County, they also demonstrate the strong internal talent pipeline that Roanoke County is so blessed to have,” said Caywood. “Each of them has demonstrated a strong commitment to public service and to strengthening our organization’s ability to serve the community with excellence. I am confident that their leadership and passion for continuous improvement will continue to move Roanoke County forward in meaningful and lasting ways. Finally, while the restructuring of our organization that is reflected in these changes is headcount and cost neutral in the short term, it sets the stage for future cost and personnel savings.”

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