Blacksburg town council will hold a special election to fill two open seats. So far, two individuals have turned in paperwork to run in November.
Leslie Harwood and Joel Goodhart are seeking to fill seats, which became open when a council member resigned and Michael Sutphin was elected mayor. Professionally, Harwood is a program manager and strategic consultant with experience leading multi-million-dollar, multi-year programs involving universities, federal and state agencies, and private organizations. Her work has focused on bringing together diverse stakeholders to solve complex challenges through thoughtful planning, collaboration, and long-term strategy. Harwood has also been active in community service throughout her life, including involvement with 4-H, Habitat for Humanity, the Montgomery County Christmas Store, and most recently serving as Volunteer Coordinator for Pete Macedo’s 2025 Blacksburg mayoral campaign.
Goodhart was appointed to town council at the beginning of the year to fill Sutphin’s term.
He was born and raised in the NRV and is a graduate of Virginia Tech.
After graduating from Virginia Tech in 2015, Joel became the operations manager for the YMCA at Virginia Tech, where he played a key role in organizing and expanding a variety of community programs in Blacksburg. His work included overseeing Y-TOSS, one of Virginia Tech’s largest sustainability initiatives in partnership with the Y, coordinating local afterschool care programs, and handling daily operations. In 2020, he earned his Master’s in IT from Virginia Tech and went on to teach career and technology education full-time with MCPS. Currently, Joel has stepped away from full-time teaching to care for his children but says he stays connected to education by serving as a substitute teacher.
Goodhart felt that it was important to run in the special election to finish out the term he was appointed for.
“When it came to running for town council last year, I was really motivated to help serve the town by supporting missing middle housing, livable transportation, and smart land use. The town’s zoning code is decades old, and we are currently working with a consultant to help us revamp our zoning ordinances to give us better tools to address problems such as housing,” he said.
Goodhart hopes to see the adoption of the zoning code updates that provides more missing middle housing, mixed-use/walkable neighborhoods, and more options for transportation so everyone has multiple viable options to get around town other than driving.
“I would also like to see the town adopt design standards for “slow, shared streets” that enable us to develop a complete street grid of safe speed streets that are accessible, convenient, direct, and safe to use for all people using the street. There are several other initiatives that I’ve learned about since serving on town council such as the town’s major investment into recreation facilities that I would enjoy shepherding through. As a parent with two young children, I definitely value the opportunities, lessons, and fun that our parks and recreation amenities provide for everyone,” he said
Prior to serving on council, Goodhart worked with non-profits and as an educator for MCPS, so he thinks having a background in serving the community is very helpful.
“There is a lot of learning to do on the job, but a great way to get familiar with the town and each department is to go through the town’s Citizen’s Institute program, which I completed in 2024. I think the next step is to become familiar with the issues that town council primarily deals with, which revolves around land use and planning. VCU also offers a course on becoming certified as a planning commissioner, which is something I intend to complete this fall,” he said.
Harwood is seeking her first run for governmental office. She initially came to Blacksburg in 2000 as a student at Virginia Tech.
“I have grown to love this community as a student, as a professional, as a neighbor, and as a homeowner. Blacksburg deserves leadership that listens, has the capacity to think independently, and see the entire picture as it writes the next chapter for us all,” she said.
“I am running because I believe that a stronger Blacksburg future is possible. I want to turn the town council into a team that actively incorporates resident contributions into town decisions. A team that can restore the people’s trust in local governance. A team with better relationships with leadership throughout our local, regional, and academic landscape. A team that improves the quality of life for everyone that calls Blacksburg home today, and for generations to come.”
Harwood would like to see council as more transparent, more collaborative, and more responsive to the people it serves.
“My first priority is restoring trust between Blacksburg residents and town government. I have heard from too many people that they felt that decisions were made before the public had a meaningful opportunity to participate. And that needs to change. Every decision that the town council makes has an impact on our community. I want to ensure residents are informed early on in the discussion process, have better access to easy-to-digest information that can help everyone be better informed throughout the process, and make sure that our community members know that their voices genuinely matter in the decision-making process,” she said.
In addition, Harwood would like to strengthen the relationship between the council and its residents, as well as between the Town and Virginia Tech.
“I know that Blacksburg is strongest when we work together, communicate openly with everyone, and focus on accomplishing our shared goals to better our community,” she said.
