City Manager's Office

Wynter C. Benda was appointed as Lynchburg City Manager in 2021. Before coming to Lynchburg, Benda served as Norfolk, Virginia’s Chief Deputy City Manager after having served as a Deputy City Manager. While in Norfolk, he led a portfolio of city departments that included the Departments of Planning, Intergovernmental Relations, Public Utilities, Public Works, Transit, Real Estate, Resilience and Communications.

He began his career in the City Manager’s Office as Assistant to the City Manager in Norfolk, where he worked across multiple city departments. He has also served as the Senior Assistant City Attorney for the City of Hampton, the In-House Council for the Chesapeake Treasurer's Office and served as a Judicial Law Clerk for the 7th Judicial Circuit.

Benda was charged with overseeing several major economic development projects including negotiating a 30-year extension through 2060 of an existing water agreement with Virginia Beach valued at $250 million, finalizing a $30 million land sale agreement with Hampton Roads Sanitation District for the expansion of the Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT) onto Lambert’s Point Golf Course, spearheading a partnership with the Downtown Norfolk Council to establish Selden Market – Norfolk’s first retail incubator space – in the newly renovated Selden Market, and managing several catalytic opportunities in Ocean View adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay.

He also implemented the new Department of Transit, overseeing the city’s multimodal transportation portfolio and was involved in a multi-year initiative to redesign the city’s transportation network.

Benda received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hampden-Sydney College, a Masters of Divinity degree and a Masters of Theology degree from Union Presbyterian Seminary and a Juris Doctor from Regent University School of Law. He was born in Norfolk and raised in Virginia Beach. He and his wife Shannon have three daughters.

Dr. Reid A. Wodicka was appointed Deputy City Manager for the City of Lynchburg on June 13, 2018. Prior to his service in the City, Dr. Wodicka served as Deputy County Administrator for nearby Bedford County and Town Manager for the Towns of Woodstock and Elkton in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

 

A graduate of E. C. Glass High School, Dr. Wodicka was born and raised in the City of Lynchburg. He later graduated from James Madison University in Harrisonburg with a BS in Public Policy and Administration. He continued at JMU to earn his Master of Public Administration degree while serving as the Town Manager in Elkton. After several years of working in local government, he earned a PhD in Public Policy with a concentration in Urban and Regional Development from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

 

Dr. Wodicka serves as a member of a number of local community boards and organizations. He is also a member of the Virginia Local Government Management Association and the Government Finance Officers Association.  

John H. Hughes, IV, was appointed as Assistant City Manager for the City of Lynchburg in December 2016. He previously served the City as the Children’s Services Act (CSA) Coordinator in Human Services from 2007-2016, as a Foster Care Social Worker from 2004-2007, and as a Youth Care Worker at the Lynchburg Regional Juvenile Detention Home from 1998-2000.

 

A native of Lynchburg, Mr. Hughes has earned an A.A.S. in General Studies from CVCC, as well as a B.S. in Social Science, a B.S. in Business Administration, and an M.B.A., all from Lynchburg College. Mr. Hughes received the Lynchburg College Distinguished Alumni Award in 2013 and is currently pursuing the Doctor of Education Degree in Leadership Studies at Lynchburg College with a focus on local government leadership and the phenomenon of gentrification.

 

Mr. Hughes is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society, serves on the City’s Community Policing Advisory Committee, and is active with professional organizations including the Virginia Local Government Management Association and the International City/County Management Association. He previously served on nonprofit boards in the City of Lynchburg including Mary Bethune Academy, Hill City Youth Football and Cheerleading, and The Festival Center, and currently serves as a Board member for the Old City Cemetery and Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC).

 

Mr. Hughes most enjoys the pleasures of fatherhood, music, history, recreation, and opportunities for transformational leadership.

Appointed by City Council, the City Manager serves as Chief Executive Officer of the municipal corporation. The duties of this office are prescribed by the Charter of the City of Lynchburg, and include: appointment of department directors; daily execution of contracts on behalf of the City Government; preparation of an annual budget; reporting to City Council concerning the financial condition of City; and all other duties as prescribed by law, ordinance or resolution of City Council.

 

The City Manager's Office for the City of Lynchburg exists to fulfill three major roles:

The general objectives and activities of the City Manager include: