We had mixed feelings during the drive to
Halifax County. It was a beautiful day and we were going
to spend a couple of days in Southside, very possibly one of
the best parts of our great state. We were also going to
interview one of the best county administrators the
Commonwealth has ever, and perhaps will ever see. There was a
sad reason we were visiting Halifax County Administrator Joseph
N. “Joe” Morgan worked and lived as well.
That was because after over 30 years of dedicated service
to Virginia’s public sector, Joe was hanging up his hat
and retiring. He agreed to sit down with us and talk
about his career, and we anticipated that time to visit once
again with a terrific leader and mentor.
With time to kill before our
interview began, we scouted shops and other spots we wanted to
see on our previous visit to South Boston. It was on the
way to lunch that we stood still in our tracks. There it
was on the news stand, in black and white. All along we
thought Joe Morgan was retiring to move back home to North
Carolina where he and his lovely wife Nancy could return to
their home state, family, and friends. Not according to
the News & Record, the local paper that has the tag line
“Largest Circulated Newspaper in the Halifax County -
South Boston Area.” The banner headline was printed
in large, bold print. It read, “Morgan Halts Trial
With Guilty Plea.”
HIS RECORD
After reading a few lines, of
course, we realised it was
not Joe Morgan on trial. But knowing
him and his sense of humor, we knew he would find humor our
considering this his fate.
We entered the county administration
office on the main street of Halifax and waited for Joe to
arrive from a class he was teaching.
When he strode through the door, he
was wearing a dapper straw hat and sensible summer office
casual attire. He was tanned and refreshed and more
relaxed than we’d seen him in years. It was good to
sit down with him and hear his thoughts during the closing days
of his work in Virginia.
We wondered what possessed him four
years ago to leave his successful career as Pulaski County
Administrator where he had been hailed as a great local leader
and facilitator for economic development. Folks in
Pulaski were devastated when he announced he would return to
the Southside Virginia community where he served many years
before.
He explained that he returned, not
only to a former employer, but to his ancestral roots when he
returned to Halifax County as county administrator. His
great grandfather (four times over) John Rogers was the brother
of Ann Rogers Clark. She was the mother of George Rogers
Clark the Revolutionary War hero, and William Clark of the
Lewis and Clark Expedition. The Rogers had a homestead in
Joe are the same ones that are displayed
on our seal of our great county: Pride, Vision, Excellence.
This is Joe Morgan! I congratulate Joe on his many
accomplishments
during his career, thank him for what he contributed to
Pulaski County, and wish him much health and happiness as he enters his ‘rockin’ years.’
during his career, thank him for what he contributed to
Pulaski County, and wish him much health and happiness as he enters his ‘rockin’ years.’
- Jerry White
Pulaski County Board of
Supervisors 1988-1999
Pulaski County Board of
Supervisors 1988-1999
It has been my pleasure to know Joe
Morgan for approximately 20 years. I have always found
him to be a true professional and a real gentleman in all that
he was involved with. I was fortunate enough to serve as
a member of the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors during the
time that Joe served as our county administrator. Our
community and our citizens benefitted and will continue to
benefit for many years thanks to his contributions. I was
always amazed at Joe’s talent for planning, organizing, and being so productive as he balanced his time and his activities between his profession, his community, and his family. Probably the most descriptive words one could use when thinking of
always amazed at Joe’s talent for planning, organizing, and being so productive as he balanced his time and his activities between his profession, his community, and his family. Probably the most descriptive words one could use when thinking of
