With Two New Members, Council Chooses Mayor

By Desiree Parker Thursday, July 01, 2010

For a morning of warm welcomes and fond farewells, Colonial Williamsburg’s original courthouse was the perfect venue. Amid rounds of hearty applause, the city said goodbye to a former mayor and a councilman, and welcomed two new councilmen along with a new mayor, Clyde Haulman.

For Thursday’s swearing-in ceremony and council organizational meeting, a costumed interpreter gave the large assembled crowd a brief history of the courthouse before then-vice mayor Haulman recognized outgoing councilman Bobby Braxton and outgoing mayor Jeanne Zeidler for their service.

As several cameramen strained to get the best shot of the proceedings, local circuit court Judge Samuel Powell administered the oath of office to newly-elected councilmen Scott Foster and Doug Pons.

Foster, a recent graduate of William and Mary and likely the youngest person to ever serve on city council, thanked his family and citizens for electing him in May, saying, “Thanks to the folks in neighborhoods who invited me into their living rooms.” Foster went on to say he is looking forward to his term, and that “I go into it with a lot of optimism.”

After the ceremony, Foster said serving on the council “is going to be exciting,” and that once he adjusts to his new position he’s ready to start moving on some changes on which he wouldn’t elaborate.

Pons is also ready to tackle his new role. “I approached this with great optimism and hard work,” he said. “I take this responsibility with a great deal of respect.”

At a reception following the swearing-in, Pons said his goal is to start serving the citizens of the city. He wants to “focus on energizing Williamsburg. We have so much to offer, and there’s no reason for the economic engine to be performing at sub-par levels. There’s lots that council can do, many positive steps it can take to drive recovery.”

As their first order of business together, council voted unanimously to appoint Haulman as the new mayor.

“I look forward…to working with everyone to move this great city forward,” Haulman said after the vote.

Haulman has been a professor with the Department of Economics at William and Mary since 1969. He was a Fulbright Senior Lecturer in China, and was a Scholar in Residence at the Virginia Center for the Humanities and at the Commonwealth Center for the Study of American Culture. He has also served as the College's Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Chair of the Department of Music, Assistant to the President, Director of the Marshall-Wythe Institute for Social Research, and is currently Chair of the Department of Economics.

He is in his third term as a council member.

William & Mary President Taylor Reveley said in statement on Haulman’s new position and Foster’s swearing in, "William & Mary is deeply committed to the welfare of Williamsburg, and there is a powerful tradition of civic service on the part of our faculty, staff and students. Thus, it's good to see Clyde Haulman, one of the College's most stalwart and distinguished faculty members, as mayor, and to have a very promising recent graduate of the College, Scott Foster, now serving on the Council.  We're proud of them both."

Council also recognized outgoing city attorney Joe Phillips for his 36 years of service to Williamsburg. Mayor Haulman joked that Phillips has seen 18 city councils and 6 mayors, and that he’d survived all of them. Phillips is one of the longest-serving city attorneys in the state, Haulman noted.

After a standing ovation for his service, Phillips thanked everyone. “It has been a wonderful experience,” he said. “Williamsburg is fortunate to have people of great integrity in positions of leadership and it’s been a pleasure to serve with them.”