Albemarle Supervisors make appointments to Commissions

At the tail end of their organizational meeting on January 7, 2026, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors made several appointments to Boards and Commissions.

That includes the Planning Commission, which has seven members as opposed to the six elected officials. There is one for each of the six magisterial districts plus an at-large member. Unlike in Charlottesville, terms for the Planning Commission are the same as the Board of Supervisors.

“The Commission’s primary role is to serve as an advisory body to the Board to promote the orderly development of the County and its environs and to accomplish the planning, zoning, and land subdivision and development objectives set forth in State law and the Albemarle County Code,” reads the Albemarle website.

Of the four appointments made, three are for returning members.

• The newcomer is Mary Katherine King, a realtor who will represent the Jack Jouett District.
• Karen Firehock will return for a fourth term as the Samuel Miller representative.

• Nathan Moore will have a second term as the Rio representative.
• Luis Carrazana will be the at-large representative for a third term. He is an associate architect in the University of Virginia’s office of the architect.

There are currently two vacancies. One is a non-voting representative to be held by someone representing the University of Virginia’s interests. This position has not been filled since Carrazana became a voting member.

The other is for the Scottsville District seat vacated when Fred Missel became a member of the Board of Supervisors.

“Commissioners are not required to be residents of the magisterial district they are appointed to represent,” reads the website for the Planning Commission.

In other appointments:

• Sherry Buttrick has been named to a tenth term on the Albemarle Conservation Easement Authority
• Former Supervisor Liz Palmer has been named to a second term representing the Samuel Miller District on the Albemarle County Service Authority. That is, a second term since leaving the Board. Palmer had been an ACSA member before her election in 2013. Kimberly Swanson has been named to a second term representing the Rio District.
• Kelly Brown has been appointed to a first term on the Charlottesville-Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau (CACVB) Executive Board as an “accomodations” representative. Athena Eastwood has been appointed to a second term as a “food and beverage” representative.
• Andrew Cox has been appointed to a first term on the Albemarle Economic Development Authority to represent the Samuel Miller District. Bill Mechnick and Frank Friedman have been appointed to full terms representing the Rivanna District and Rio District respectively.
• The Equalization Board is appointed each year and three were appointed this week. They are Frank Friedman for the Rio District, Evan Mayo for the Scottsville District, and David Norford for the Rivanna District. There are still three vacancies.
• Elizabeth Engle and Andrew Sallans have both been reappointed to the Piedmont Family YMCA Board of Directors. Both Albemarle and Charlottesville were given seats on the board after making capital contributions to the project in the 2010’s.
• Keith Reed has been appointed to a first term on the Places29-North Community Advisory Committee.
• Former Supervisor Diantha McKeel has been named to the Police Department Citizens Advisory Committee. Former Supervisor Donna Price is also on this body.

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