The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission remembers commission member David Phelps, representing Franklin County, who passed away on June 30th, 2020.
Mr. Phelps was appointed by the Franklin County Board of Supervisors in March 2018. He was a very active member of the Commission and tried to attend all Board meetings and special events.
Mr. Phelps came to the meetings well prepared to discuss key regional issues to be discussed by the Board, but his special interest was related to transportation issues, particularly those pertaining to rail. He was a strong advocate for expanding rail service to Bedford County and areas in Southwest Virginia. His interest in railroads came about during his tenure at GE where he designed and developed locomotive solutions for the company.
Mayor Brad Grose, Chair of the Commission, stated that “David was one of the most active members on the Commission and contributed greatly to discussions on regional programs and projects. We’ll certainly miss his contributions to the work of our organization”.
