Will Sessoms
William Douglas Sessoms Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | circa 1954 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, banking executive |
| Years active | 1988–2018 (politics) |
| Known for | Mayor of Virginia Beach (2008–2018), Vice Mayor of Virginia Beach (1992–2002), President and CEO of Towne Financial Services Group (2011–2014) |
William Douglas Sessoms Jr. (born circa 1954) is an American political figure and banking executive who held the position of Mayor of Virginia Beach, Virginia from 2008 until his resignation in April 2018. Between 2011 and 2014, he served as president and CEO of Towne Financial Services Group, a branch of TowneBank located in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Before his mayoral tenure, Sessoms was a member of the Virginia Beach City Council from 1988 to 2002 and served as vice mayor from 1992 to 2002. He opted not to seek re-election for vice mayor in 2002. Additionally, he was president and regional director for TowneBank's Virginia Beach operations from 2005 through 2011.
City Council
Sessoms secured an at-large seat on the Virginia Beach City Council through a special election in 1988. Prior to entering politics, he was involved with the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad and worked as a banker at Central Fidelity. Despite public unrest following the Labor Day weekend riots, he successfully retained his council seat in the 1990 election.
On July 2, 1992, while holding the role of Senior Vice President for commercial loans at Central Fidelity National Bank, Sessoms was elected Vice Mayor by a city council vote of 7 to 4. During his 1994 re-election campaign, attention was drawn to his ownership of Philip Morris stock and his opposition to increasing cigarette taxes—a major funding source for economic development initiatives. Backed by members from both major political parties, he garnered the highest number of votes among city council candidates that year.
Although contemplating a mayoral run in 1996, Sessoms chose to continue as vice mayor for a third term. By 1998, having transitioned to a banking position at Wachovia, he again won re-election. Citing personal and professional commitments, he decided against running for another term in 2002.
In 1997, Sessoms acted as the spokesperson for Virginia Beach's $10 million agreement with the PGA Tour to develop a championship golf course, with the tour contributing $6.5 million toward its construction.
Mayor
Sessoms declared his intention to run for mayor on June 25, 2008, receiving endorsement from Doug McCain—a Virginia Beach resident and son of John McCain. By the end of 2007, Sessoms led fundraising efforts with $321,000 compared to $5,600 raised by others. Having previously served as Vice Mayor and then president of TowneBank’s Virginia Beach division, he defeated five-term incumbent Meyera Oberndorf in the November 4, 2008 election. Oberndorf had held office since direct mayoral elections began in 1988. Sworn in on January 5, 2009, Sessoms emphasized priorities such as job growth, environmental enhancements, neighborhood revitalization, acquisition of Norfolk Southern Railway rights-of-way for light-rail expansion, and tackling youth gang problems.
In February 2016, he announced plans for a third term campaign and officially launched it on August 26 that year. After being re-elected on November 8, 2016, Sessoms resigned effective April 30, 2018.
2014 conflict of interest case
On November 9, 2014, The Virginian-Pilot revealed that Sessoms had cast numerous votes alongside City Council on issues directly benefiting developers who had borrowed at least $140 million from TowneBank—raising questions about potential conflicts between his banking responsibilities and public duties. An examination of roughly 3,000 records uncovered a consistent pattern over almost six years. Virginia Beach councilman John Moss urged law enforcement agencies to investigate possible legal breaches.
Upon returning from an overseas trip on November 11, Sessoms acknowledged the seriousness of these allegations. Subsequently, TowneBank suspended him with pay pending further inquiry. The City Commonwealth's Attorney requested appointment of a special prosecutor to determine whether Sessoms violated laws by voting on matters favoring bank clients. To avoid conflicts of interest perceptions, neighboring city mayors Paul D. Fraim (Norfolk) and Linda Johnson (Suffolk) resigned from TowneBank boards. Shortly thereafter, Sessoms stepped down from his TowneBank board roles and fully resigned from the bank on December 24 following implementation of a policy prohibiting senior executives from holding elected office.
On November 4, 2015, Sessoms faced five misdemeanor charges alleging violations of the state's Conflict of Interest Act related to votes benefiting borrowers of TowneBank. The trial experienced delays due to judges recusing themselves over potential conflicts. On December 28, 2015, under a plea agreement dismissing four charges, Sessoms entered a no contest plea to one misdemeanor count.
Personal life
Sessoms has been married to Beverly since 1977, and together they have three daughters: Mollie S. Korte, Kate S. Napolitano, and Anne Douglas Gangwer. His father-in-law is Roy B. Martin Jr., who previously served as the mayor of Norfolk, Virginia.
He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. Up until 1988, Sessoms was a board member of the Princess Anne Country Club, an institution that encountered difficulties related to integration. During the initial stages of his political journey, critics targeted both his affiliation with the country club and his children's enrollment at the private Norfolk Academy, labeling them as symbols of elitism.