Familiar face fills board vacancy

ARARAT, Virginia — Residents of the Dan River District in Patrick County now have a new member representing them on the county Board of Supervisors, who already should be familiar.

Jane Fulk has been appointed to replace Brandon Simmons on the board. Simmons, who was serving as its chairman at the time, stepped down earlier this year in the midst of a term that doesn’t expire until December 2025.

Fulk previously served from 2018 to 2021 as supervisor of the Dan River District, which includes the Ararat, Claudville and Willis Gap communities of Patrick.

After Simmons resigned from that position, county officials solicited applications from other residents in the district as his replacement.

Four persons tossed their hats into the ring by a May 17 deadline, with Fulk appointed last week.

However, she said Thursday that this will be only a temporary arrangement.

Patrick officials have said that whoever was appointed for the short haul will serve until a special election in November, when that person has the option of running to fill out the remainder of Simmons’ unexpired term.

“I’m only taking it until the end of the year,” Fulk said of her brief tenure envisioned for the job of Dan River District representative. “I told them when I took it that I wouldn’t run.”

Fulk emphasized that she was “just going to fill in,” during that period.

Yet she wants to make a difference where possible.

“I know the other board members have some ideas they might want to look at,” she said of the group that has five supervisors at full strength.

Fulk says she would be interested in helping to prepare plans for such goals before the new member arrives to help that person get a good start.

The appointee has the time to do this.

“I guess you could say I’m retired,” said Fulk, who continues to be an active member of the Ararat Rescue Squad as she has been for 30 years. She also is heavily involved with church work and Ruritan activities.

In stepping down, Simmons cited family demands and dissatisfaction with constant complaints from citizens over board actions.

Fulk says fielding such gripes is a regular occurrence for county officials and during her previous tenure found that an effective way of handling this was listening sincerely to what people have to say.

She then would look into their complaints and try to find a solution.

Yet at the same time, if this were not possible, Fulk said she would level with constituents — telling them the truth rather than offering empty promises.