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An attorney with a background in international tax laws and strong ties to the Rockbridge area community has been hired to be the next Rockbridge County attorney.
The Board of Supervisors on Monday, Feb. 12, voted to hire John Dryden to succeed Vickie Huffman as county attorney. Huffman announced last fall that she would be retiring Feb. 29.
A graduate of the Washington and Lee University School of Law, Dryden has more than 20 years of legal experience both in Virginia and abroad.
According to a press release announcing his appointment as county attorney, Dryden “has held leadership positions in the legal, educational and community development spheres, serving as a partner and head of the international tax team at a leading Korean law firm, the chairman of the governing board at Chadwick International School in South Korea and as the vice-chairman of the Buena Vista Economic Development Authority.”
A Buena Vista resident, he has worked in the law office of Steve Baldridge the past couple of years. His wife Shannon teaches at Virginia Military Institute in the Department of Human Performance and Wellness. The couple are the parents of four adult children. His brother, Dr. Brent Dryden, is a Buena Vista dentist, and his sister-inlaw, Deidra Dryden, is the director of athletics at Southern Virginia University.
The press release stated that Dryden’s “extensive experience in contract negotiations, taxation and legal risk management, coupled with his commitment to community development, makes him an ideal fit for Rockbridge County.” He brings to the role of county attorney “a distinguished career in law and public service, demonstrating a deep commitment to community development and legal excellence.”
“ … Although he has worked and lived in many different countries, Dryden and his family have maintained strong connections to Rockbridge County, anchored by deep-rooted relationships within the community.”
He is a native of Mobile, Ala., and a graduate of Auburn University.
