2022 State of the County - WEBINAR REGISTRATION

Dr. Richard Bailey grew up in Botetourt County on his family farm. He is a Lord Botetourt Graduate (Go Cavs!) and he is also a proud Hokie! Bailey pursued higher education at Virginia Tech where he achieved a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science in 1979. After graduation, he farmed and worked for the Virginia Department of Agriculture until entering Veterinary School in 1983. He graduated from the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1987. He then began his practice of caring for animals in the County. He started working at Botetourt Veterinary Hospital in 1988 and from 1992 until 2014 he owned the vet hospital. Today you will find him working part time at Botetourt Veterinary Hospital or at his Beef Cattle Farm that he owns and operates. Dr. Bailey currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Foundation serving Western Virginia and he serves the residents of our county as Chairman of the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors. Dr. Bailey is married to the love of his life, Kelly and raised his two sons, Kyle and Marshall in Botetourt County. He is also the proud grandfather of Landry Lee. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Richard Bailey.

A native of Roanoke, Catherine Fox, joined the staff of Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge formerly the Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau in 1988. A graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in Travel and Tourism Management, Catherine serves as the Vice President of Destination Development focusing on developing the region as a destination and putting a spotlight on tourism as an economic driver.

Dr. Jonathan Russ was born and raised in Southwest Virginia. He graduated from Patrick Henry High School in Washington Co. in 1986 and received a B.A. in Mathematics from Emory & Henry College in December, 1990. He began his teaching career in the fall of 1991 as a middle school mathematics teacher. Dr. Russ moved to Stafford Co. in 1993 and was a high school mathematics teacher for six years. Dr. Russ began his administrative career as a high school assistant principal at Caroline High School for two years. In 2001, he transitioned to Fredericksburg City Public Schools (FCPS). He served in the following positions with FCPS: Middle School Assistant Principal, Elementary Principal, Director of Assessment & Accountability, Director of Human Resources, Chief Administrative Officer, and Deputy Superintendent. Dr. Russ has served as the Division Superintendent in Botetourt County Public Schools since July 1st, 2020.

Dr. Russ is the proud father of four beautiful children. His wife, Brenda, currently serves as a high school assistant principal. His hobbies include golf and Virginia Tech Hokie football.

Taylor Spellman began working for Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge in 2015 to promote the region she loves. As the Director of Public Relations, Taylor works with travel writers and journalists to showcase Virginia’s Blue Ridge as a must see mountain destination. Prior to her career in tourism, Taylor graduated from Radford University with a degree in communication and public relations. After graduation she went on to help lead the marketing and development efforts to launch Roanoke’s first coworking space, CoLab.



Taylor is a founding member of Experience, a young professional organization attracting and retaining talent in Virginia’s Blue Ridge and also serves on the board for Virginia’s Explore Park. She lives in Botetourt County with her husband Tommy and their two young kids.