This Monday, the Falls Church City Council voted unanimously to hire Seth Hendler–Voss as the next City Manager of the independent City of Falls Church, Virginia.
Seth Hendler–Voss will join the City as the administrative executive of the two-square-mile independent city in Northern Virginia on Monday, September 14. His appointment culminated a five month recruitment process that saw over 80 people originally apply for the job.
“Seth brings to the City of Falls Church an extraordinary combination of local government experience, creative problem-solving, and a deep commitment to building strong, connected communities,” Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi said in a statement this week. “His career has consistently focused on the things that make a community thrive – from thoughtful growth and economic development to parks and public spaces, housing, infrastructure, and meaningful engagement with residents.”
Mayor Hardi added, “We are thrilled to welcome Seth and his family to The Little City. His energy, collaborative spirit, and passion for community make him an excellent fit for the City, and I look forward to working with him as we build on all that makes our City such a special place to live, work, and call home.”
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the City of Falls Church community and humbled by City Council’s confidence during this pivotal time of transition. Their collective vision and level of engagement is energizing,” said Hendler–Voss.
“I am excited to roll up my sleeves and work together to sustain the City’s distinctive character while drawing upon new opportunities to enhance the quality of life for all residents and foster an environment for local businesses to thrive. The chance to work with an employee body as talented as this City’s team is a dream for any incoming City Manager and I am committed to leveraging our collective skills to deliver the highest quality services in Northern Virginia, setting the gold standard for engagement and innovation. As new residents, my family and I are elated to join the full life of the community and take full advantage of the cultural events, dining scene, recreation resources, and superb public school system that make the City of Falls Church such a hallmark community.”
The Hendler-Voss family has moved temporarily into the Pearson Square apartments, doing so in time for their younger son, Simon, to enroll in the ninth grade at Meridian High School this week, where classes began Monday. He immediately signed up for the school’s cross country team and took part in a ceremony where his dad was formally voted in by the CIty Council prior to a wide plethora of congratulatory and testimonial remarks by his former employers and new colleagues were made.
Hendler–Voss comes to the City of Falls Church with two decades of public service in Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. Most recently, he led Parks and Recreation for Prince William County, Virginia.
For nearly a decade, Hendler–Voss led one of the nation’s largest and most diverse park systems, elevating parks and recreation from a value‑added service to a cornerstone of community vitality. He grew the agency to a $115 million budget and 1,400 employees across seven divisions, consolidated the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau into county government, and oversaw tourism through 2023.
In Prince William County, he co‑led a $396 million bond referendum with 68 percent voter approval, expedited capital project delivery, negotiated $25 million in private partnerships, and accelerated the tourism economy to the highest percentage growth of all Northern Virginia governments.
Prior to Prince William County, Hendler–Voss served for three years as the Town Manager of Canton, North Carolina. As Town Manager, he oversaw full-service operations including Fire, Police, Water and Sewer, and Public Works. While in Canton, Seth established Haywood County’s first living wage-certified municipality, crafted an economic development strategy that resulted in a dozen new business startups and expansions, reimagined their century-old Labor Day festival, and led an unprecedented level of water system modernization and pedestrian safety improvements.
Before Canton, Hendler–Voss served for 12 years as the Planning Manager and Principal Landscape Architect for the City of Asheville, North Carolina, known for its thriving arts and small business culture, where he doubled their greenway system and led stormwater management and flood resiliency projects. He also served as the Principal Landscape Architect for the City of Atlanta, Georgia where he designed parks and organized volunteer playground builds.
Hendler–Voss’ career also includes time in the nonprofit and private sectors – both in Atlanta, Georgia and Wise County, Virginia where he worked in underserved neighborhoods with home repair programs and anti-predatory lending advocacy.
His passion for placemaking started during his time with PBS&J, a multidisciplinary engineering firm in Atlanta where he designed streetscape revitalizations and traffic calming plans for small towns in the Atlanta metro area.
He earned a Masters of Public Affairs from Western Carolina University in 2013 and a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Penn State University in 2001 where he also competed nationally on the men’s Track and Cross Country teams. He is a 2023 graduate of the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center’s Senior Executive Institute (SEI).
Hendler–Voss currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Hylton Performing Arts Center at George Mason University and is a Fellow in the American Academy for Parks and Recreation Administrators. He is passionate about placemaking, housing security, community storytelling, balancing growth with preserving community character, and public education. He views the local government sector as an epicenter for building community bonds and transforming lives.
Hendler–Voss is married to the Reverend Amanda Hendler–Voss who is the Senior Minister at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Washington, D.C. and together they have two children. The elder child attends Christopher Newport University and the younger is entering ninth grade at Meridian High School this fall. He said that he and his family look forward to fully immersing themselves in The Little City’s vibrant cultural fabric.
Current City Manager Wyatt Shields announced his intention to retire after a remarkable 23 years of service for the City of Falls Church government (see story, elsewhere this issue). Shields’ last day with the City will be Friday, September 4, 2026, and a special reception to honor his service will be held this Thursday, August 27, at 2 p.m. at the Falls Church City Hall.
Jenny Carroll, Deputy City Manager, will serve as Acting City Manager until Hendler–Voss’ first day on Monday, September 14.
