Trevor Henry, Albemarle County

Trevor Henry, Director of Office of Facilities Development

Where were you born (and raised, if different)?

I was born and raised in Huntingdon, PA, a small town located in Central Pennsylvania, and grew up as a lifelong Steelers and Penn State fan.

When and why did you move to the Charlottesville/Albemarle area?

After college I was commissioned as an officer in the Navy and served eight years of active duty as a submarine officer.  After my Naval commitment I worked in the DC area and eventually moved to Charlottesville to work as a Program Manager for Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine in 2002.

What neighborhood do you live in now?

I live in a small subdivision neighborhood in the Crozet area, near the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Family (spouse, kids, etc.)?

My wife, Kim, teaches fifth grade at Brownsville Elementary School; my daughter, Alora, graduated from Western Albemarle High School in 2012 and is in her first year of college; my son, Kent, is a junior at WAHS.

What is your alma mater and when did you graduate?

I attended school at a small Division III school in Pennsylvania–Susquehanna University–and graduated in 1989 with a BS in Physics/Math. Following graduation I joined the Navy via the Nuclear Powered Officer Candidate program and was commissioned as an Ensign in the fall of 1989, which then led to nearly two years of nuclear power training. After  graduating from sub school, I was assigned to my first submarine, the USS Whale (SSN 638), in October of 1991.  I served an additional 5 years in the Navy at Groton/New London Naval base.

What were you doing before you came to work for the county?

I worked as a Development Manager for a local development company prior to the downturn in the economy and joining the county in January 2009.

Your job title is Director of Office of Facilities Development – what, in your own words, would you say you do?

I am responsible for providing overall leadership, coordination and supervision of the operations of the Office of Facilities Development (OFD). My daily responsibilities include planning, directing and ensuring the successful implementation, management and tracking of the County Capital Improvement Program (CIP). My role is to provide general coaching, oversight and support to a great group of Project Managers charged with executing projects for the County and Schools.

What is the best part of your job? The most difficult part?

I most enjoy working together in a team environment within OFD. More broadly I enjoy collaborating with the many talented county staff to take on the challenges of executing projects in today’s financially constrained environment.  Meeting the goal of delivering projects on time, in budget, and meeting the expectations by the county residents add to the challenge.

The most difficult part of the job is the pace at which decision processes sometimes occur, although understandable from a proper public vetting perspective.  Staff is constantly challenged with improving throughput of county projects.

How does your job most directly impact the average person?

Most of the CIP projects, maintenance and repair or enhancement projects directly improve the quality of life of the county citizen.  These improvements to education, public safety, parks and transportation infrastructure such as the athletic turf fields to the Crozet Library benefit many who reside in the county.

What is the most interesting project or work experience that you’ve had while with the county?

I enjoy the entire development process, especially when it involves pulling together a disparate group of stakeholders to work through a particular issue to keep a project on track.  During the design process of the Crozet Library and the Crozet Streetscape, we recognized the need to bring together several property owners that had property adjacent to the library to work through access easements, construction easements, etc. After spending several meetings and understanding all the complexities several concepts, and ultimately a  “block plan,” was developed that has allowed all the stakeholders to proceed with their separate projects.

What is a little-known fact about you?

During my last deployment in the Navy I was the surfacing officer at the North Pole.  I was one of the crew members who was able to go topside on the ice where I planted a flag of my college alma mater.

What do you do outside of work hours – hobbies, etc.?

I enjoy time with my family, especially outdoor activities, including hunting and fishing when I can.  In the Fall, I am an assistant varsity football coach at WAHS and proud supporter of the Warriors.