Above: Seth Hendler-Voss, front row center, is joined by his wife Rev. Amanda Hendler-Voss and son Simon. Behind the family in the second row of Council Chambers are leaders from Prince William County—from right to left, County Executive Christopher Shorter, Chief of Police Peter Newsham, and Vice Chair of the Board of County Supervisors Victor S. Angry.

Summary

The City Council voted unanimously to hire Seth Hendler-Voss as the next City Manager at a special meeting on August 24, 2026.
Mr. Hendler-Voss comes to Falls Church with two decades of public service in Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. He served most recently as the Director of Parks and Recreation for Prince William County, Virginia.
The new City Manager replaces Wyatt Shields, who is retiring after 23 years with the City, 19 of which have been in the administrative executive role.
Mr. Shields’ last day is Friday, September 4. Deputy City Manager Jennifer Carroll will serve as Acting City Manager until Mr. Hendler-Voss’ tenure begins on Monday, September 14.

A rigorous recruitment process

Following a five-month nationwide search, the City Council unanimously selected Seth Hendler-Voss to replace City Manager Wyatt Shields, who on March 24 announced his intention to retire after 23 years with the Falls Church City government. [See the Pulse post Shields Reflects on Accomplishments, Issues Facing Falls Church, April 2, 2026.] Mr. Hendler-Voss previously served as Director of Parks and Recreation for Prince William County, Virginia, for nine years.

Council officially appointed Mr. Hendler-Voss during a special meeting on August 24, 2026. He will begin work as the City’s administrative executive on Monday, September 14.

Council’s decision to offer Mr. Hendler-Voss the position followed what Mr. Shields described as “a rigorous and thorough and very successful recruitment process.” The Council hired local government and utility management consultant Raftelis to conduct the process, which included focus groups and input from City staff and members of the community in developing the job description.

More than 80 candidates applied for the role, with Mr. Hendler-Voss ultimately emerging as the finalist. Mr. Shields and members of Council praised City Human Resources Director Sharon Gibson, who managed the process.

A reputation for responsiveness

“Seth Hendler-Voss brings a remarkable depth of local government experience and a real passion for community to the City of Falls Church,” Mayor Letty Hardi said in a City press release. During the special meeting, she and the other members of City Council further noted the new City Manager’s long commitment to public service, enthusiasm for placemaking, genuine interest in the City staff, and preparedness for the interviews for this role.

Notably, leadership from Prince William County attended the City Council meeting appointing Mr. Hendler-Voss to City Manager. “I am not enthusiastic about losing Seth Hendler-Voss to Falls Church,” said Vice Chair of the Board of County Supervisors Victor S. Angry, “but I am very enthusiastic about you all and the growth and specialness of your city. You are getting a special person for this position.”

“I’ve been on the Board [of County Supervisors] for eight years,” Supervisor Angry continued. “Seth has been there all eight of those years for me. He is very responsive. Everything you’ve said [about him], I’m living proof. He’s your guy.”

Creating believers in local government

In remarks following his appointment, Mr. Hendler-Voss thanked his Prince William colleagues for coming and noted “how much I’ve grown as a leader because of the team around me.”

Of the Falls Church City staff, the incoming City Manager said, “I believe the talent of this staff is the fuel that’s going to help us achieve new possibilities.”

He credited the Mayor and City Council for involving staff in the selection process. “It really speaks to the importance that you place in the perspective of the people who are, honestly, the ones that do all of the work—many of whom work behind the scenes.”

To the City staff, Mr. Hendler-Voss added, “I look forward to building trust and…doing really great work together.”

He offered a similar message to the broader Falls Church community. “I’m also looking forward to engaging with the residents, businesses, and all the community leaders by listening deeply to your needs and ideas and making sure that you understand how decisions are made and why decisions are made.” Added Mr. Hendler-Voss, “My favorite part of public service is building relationships and fostering trust—making believers out of people when it comes to local government.”

To that end, he promised that he will listen, make government accessible and responsive, and focus on excellent service delivery that provides “the best value for our taxpayers, ratepayers, and all of our residents.”

Two decades of public service

Mr. Hendler-Voss brings to Falls Church 20 years of public service experience in Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. Before coming to Prince William County as Director of the Parks and Recreation Department in 2017, he served as Town Manager of Canton, NC; Planning Manager and Principal Landscape Architect for Asheville, NC; and Principal Landscape Architect for Atlanta, GA.

During his public- and private-sector career, Mr. Hendler-Voss has worked on a range of municipal issues, including traffic calming, streetscape revitalization, deferred infrastructure maintenance, utility modernization, climate resiliency, and low-impact development. His experience also includes urban home repair programs for low-income seniors, programs serving underserved neighborhoods, advocacy for anti-predatory lending legislation, and management of a rural home repair program.

Mr. Hendler-Voss earned a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from the Pennsylvania State University in 2001 and a master’s degree in public affairs from Western Carolina University in 2014. He is also a 2023 graduate of the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center’s Senior Executive Institute.

He is a Registered Landscape Architect and a Certified Parks and Recreation Executive. In addition, he served on the Board of Regents for the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and North Carolina State University (NCSU) Park Maintenance Management School and is currently an instructor for the NRPA Park Directors School.

Mr. Hendler-Voss is married to Rev. Amanda Hendler-Voss, who is the Senior Minister at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Washington, DC. They have two children—Myles, a sophomore at Christopher Newport University, and Simon, a freshman at Meridian High School.

Mr. Shields’ last day as City Manager is Friday, September 4. Deputy City Manager Jennifer Carroll will serve as Acting City Manager from September 5 through September 13. Mr. Hendler-Voss’ tenure begins on Monday, September 14.