Travis leaves Board of Supervisors after selling home in Massie District

By MIKE WILLIAMS

The Patriot

The Pulaski County Board of Supervisors must now fill an unprecedented third vacancy this year with the news today that Massie District Supervisor John Travis has moved from the district.

Travis confirmed to The Patriot this morning he had sold his home at 1950 Peppers Ferry Road in Pulaski and would be living in a home at Claytor Lake – outside the Massie District.

“Donna and I have sold our house located in the Massie District.  We officially closed on it today, May 10, 2022.  We are living at our Claytor Lake home in the Draper District.

“When I was elected, my intentions were to fulfill my term.  A small home on Claytor Lake became available that we planned to use as a second home. Several things happened that caused us to make the decision to relocate full time to our lake house,” Travis explained in a letter he wrote Monday and provided to The Patriot today.

“I regret not being able to fulfill my duties as an elected official and represent the citizens of the Massie District.  Effective today, May 10, 2022, I will no longer be on the Board of Supervisors. I will continue to be very supportive of the Board of Supervisors. I have enjoyed working with County Administrator Jonathan Sweet.  I have great confidence in Jonathan and the present board members and the direction they are taking the County.

I look forward to this next chapter in my life.  I plan to continue to volunteer in our community wherever I can,” Travis said.

Travis said he will miss serving on the Board of Supervisors and noted he believes the board accomplished “some great things” during his two and half years on the board, and “there are more great things to come.”

Travis said the same procedures to fill the now vacant Massie District seat on the board would be followed as in the replacing of former supervisors Charles Bopp and Joe Guthrie. He said the board hopes to have the Massie seat filled by its regular meeting on June 27.

Bopp, Robinson District, announced on Dec. 20 of last year he would be retiring from the board for health reasons.

After accepting applications from prospective replacements, the board voted to name Jeff Reeves as the new Robinson District Supervisor.

On Jan. 4 during the board’s organizational meeting for 2022, former Chairman Joe Guthrie, Cloyd District, announced he would be leaving the board to take a position in newly elected Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration.

Ingles District Supervisor Laura Walters was that evening named as the new board chairman.

On Feb. 8, the board named Adam Hall as the new supervisor for the Cloyd District.

According to PulaskiCounty.org, the county’s website, Travis was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2019, and has lived in Pulaski for the last 31 years.

He worked at Pulaski Furniture for more than 19 years and was the plant manager for the last 5 years until the plant closed in 2007. In 2000, he got his Virginia Contractor Class A license and started his own contracting company. After many years of building custom homes, he switched to the real estate side of the business. In 2014, he got his Virginia Realtor’s license and went into business with his wife Donna, working with Long and Foster Real Estate as The Travis Team.

John enjoys volunteering in the community, participating in events and activities of all types through his church as well as civic organizations. He has two grown children who attended Pulaski County Public Schools, and two grandchildren that he adores. His hobbies include spending time with his family, as well as enjoying the activities and outdoors around Pulaski.