Economic Development Director
Mr. Chittum was appointed Economic Development Director for Roanoke County in March 2001. His primary responsibility is to coordinate the County's economic development efforts with state and regional objectives, and to lead and mentor professional staff in the planning and implementation of marketing, product development, and existing business retention and expansion programs.
Mr. Chittum was most recently employed as Director of Commercial Development for F&W Management Corporation. While there he created the F&W Real Estate Group which administers the leasing and management of over 700,000 square feet of commercial, retail, and industrial space, and provides commercial real estate brokerage services throughout southwest Virginia.
His previous public service includes a fifteen-year career with the City of Roanoke where he served as Economic Development Administrator. In that capacity he managed the development of the Roanoke Centre for Industry and Technology, the City's premier business park, and played a leadership role in the redevelopment of the historic downtown area. He authored two successful Enterprise Zone applications and managed numerous downtown development programs such as the Historic Low Interest Loan Program and Façade Grant Program. At the request of then Governor George C. Allen, he lectured on the subject of downtown housing at the Governor's Statewide Conference on Housing. He also was appointed by Roanoke City Council to serve two consecutive terms on the Board of Trustees of the City of Roanoke Pension Plan.
A graduate of James Madison University, Mr. Chittum also holds credentials from the Roanoke College Management Institute and the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge, the Roanoke Valley Horse Show, the New Century Venture Center, and is past president of the Mount Pleasant Lions Club.