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Windsor’s Town Council voted on Aug. 11 to appoint William Saunders as its new town manager.

Saunders was selected out of 13 applicants and will begin his duties on Aug. 17. He has 13 years of experience in local government, having served most recently as Surry County’s director of planning and community development. Prior to that, he served as the town of Smithfield’s director of planning, engineering and public works; its planning and zoning administrator; and its town planner and GIS coordinator. He also has 14 years’ experience serving on local planning commissions in the town of Windsor and Isle of Wight County.

According to Mayor Glyn Willis, the Town Council selected Saunders primarily for his experience in local government and the fact that he is a resident of Windsor and therefore has a vested interest in the success of the town and surrounding community.

Saunders is a native of Suffolk, and has lived in the Windsor community for more than 20 years. He received his master’s degree in public administration from Old Dominion University, a bachelor’s degree in economics from Elon College and a graduate certificate in geographic information systems from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a member of the International City/County Managers Association, the American Planning Association and the Virginia Association of Zoning Officials. He is also a currently credentialed planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners and a certified zoning administrator.