New Glasgow Town Manager Starts Work

Glasgow’s first female town manager, Allyson Finchum of Roseland, began her duties July 3, and hit the ground running.

Prior to officially taking office, she rode around town to familiarize herself with the town and surrounding area. She presided over her first Council meeting July 9.

She succeeds Jon Ellestad, who had served as interim town manager since last December after Phil Robinette, the town manager since June of last year, left for a job in Saltville.

Ellestad had worked part-time hours, and Council last month voted to make the position part-time.

Finchum brings a wealth of knowledge and experience for the position. She received her master’s degree in urban and regional planning in 2001 from Virginia Commonwealth University. She also has a bachelor of arts degree in communications (1986) from American University in Washington, D.C.

Since 1998, she has served as a zoning administrator/ property maintenance administrator and director of planning and community development in various cities around Virginia. From 2005 to 2010 she was the principal planner for Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, working on various projects during her time there.

From 2018 to 2024, she served as town manager for Port Royal and most recently, Bowling Green. Some key achievements during this time include initiating operation of a new water system, starting long overdue revisions of town ordinances, assisting with comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance amendments, and implementing software changes to benefit all functions of town government.

Finchum noted she is thrilled to be part of this beautiful community and looks forward to “assist in helping make it a great town for people to live in.”

She expressed her appreciation for the town staff and their work ethic that she has noticed thus far. She feels that she can delegate and oversee and know things are in capable hands and will get done. Actually, in the week she’s been on duty, the town hall building has been pressure washed, and cleaned inside.

“I’ve already been out in the field checking on things,” she said. “I’m not afraid of getting out there and doing what I need to do.”

Finchum is “Virginia born and raised.” She and retired husband, Mike, have raised a family of seven and now have six grandchildren - “so far,” she says with a smile.