Virginia Beach Celebrates 60 Years with Historic Photo of Employees

This week, City of Virginia Beach employees from 16 departments gathered for a special photo in front of City Hall. They all shared one thing in common. They, like Virginia Beach, are all celebrating their 60th birthday this year.

One of the employees is Jeff Menger, a systems analyst in Information Technology who has worked at the City for nearly 35 years. His current role involves supporting Emergency Communications 911 systems.

“Serving our local government is meaningful work,” he said. “The entire Emergency Communications team here is amazing, and I am blessed to be a part of it.” When asked about sharing a birth year with the city, Jeff said, “I suppose it was destiny.”

Josie Bergstrom’s first library job was shelving books during high school. After decades of working in libraries, she’s now a lead librarian at Kempsville where she enjoys reading with children. Josie believes sharing a birthday with the city is something to celebrate. “1963 was a very good year,” she said.

Newer to the City is Letitia Shelton, director of Finance, who has served in this role for two years. Unfazed by sharing a birth year with Virginia Beach, Letitia said, “We are aging like a fine wine, getting better over time.”

Petrina Young, a real estate appraiser who has worked for the City for 27 years, was excited to participate in the photo. “I’m very proud to be part of this city and its history,” she said. “1963, you rock!”

After 28 years as a fitness professional with Parks & Recreation, Birgitt Kishbaugh says working for the City has meant job stability. When some area gyms faced difficult staffing decisions during the pandemic, she appreciated being able to keep her job. “It says a lot for how much the City values its employees,” she said. “I look forward to working here many more years.”

Over the last 33 years, Cathy Fowler has held roles as diverse as 911 operator, cashier with Parks & Recreation, and, currently, a revenue agent with DMV Select. When considering the photo opportunity, Cathy thought the invitation made her feel old, but she quickly changed her mind. “I realized that compared to many cities in Virginia, we are still a young city at 60,” she said. “So that means I’m still young too!”

Learn more about working for the City of Virginia Beach and check out current employment opportunities at virginiabeach.gov/careers.