FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2025
City of Charlottesville Announces New Director of Human Resources
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Joseph (Joe) Gilkerson joined the City of Charlottesville today, April 16th, as Director of Human Resources (HR). Gilkerson comes to the City from Prince William County, VA where he most recently served as Director of Human Resources for the County government.
In his most recent role, Joe led the “Reimagination of HR” efforts that transformed the HR department into a more agile and efficient organization by leveraging the talent of current employees to better support County departments and become a more trusted and valued strategic resource. He led a staff of over 40 professionals responsible for all functions of the HR department to include Collective Bargaining, Training and Development, Benefits, Classification and Compensation, Talent Management, Employee Relations, Equal Employment Opportunity, Project Management, HR Administration, and HR Information Systems. He was most notably responsible for successfully implementing a new Classification and Compensation plan for the entire organization while supporting over 5,000 full-time employees and over 3,000 part-time/seasonal employees.
Joe brings experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Before transitioning into HR, Joe served as an Infantry Unit Leader in the United States Marine Corps.
“I am looking forward to joining an excellent HR department and City leadership team. I will be bringing a relationship-focused, strategic leadership attitude that supports the City's goals and values. One of the things that is important to me is a high-performing, agile HR team and transforming systems that will be efficient and responsive to the needs of both HR and employees. I’m committed to ensuring the HR department remains a trusted and innovative strategic partner for the City of Charlottesville,” Gilkerson said.
“Organizational Excellence is foundational to our success as a City and a key component to the City’s Strategic Plan. The people who make up the City government are our most important asset and are essential to making Charlottesville a place where everyone thrives. As we seek to modernize Human Resources and cultivate a customer service-centered organization, we know that Joe is the leader we have been looking for,” said Deputy City Manager for Administration, Eden Ratliff.
Joe is an active member of the Public Sector HR Association (PSHRA) having served on the Certification Committee, co-chair of the Veterans Exploratory Committee, and is currently appointed to the PSHRA South Advisory Committee. He was previously President of the Virginia Chapter of IPMA-HR (now called PSHRA) from 2010 to 2011. His past leadership roles include serving on the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Graduate Education Board, the ICMA Veterans Committee, and as Chapter President of the Stafford County Toastmasters Club (2009).
Gilkerson holds a Bachelor of Science in business management and a Master of Science in organizational leadership and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), a Senior Certified Professional through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP) and holds the Senior Certified Professional (PSHRA-SCP) designation from the Public Sector HR Association. His commitment to professional growth is further reflected in his completion of the Leading Education and Development (LEAD) Program and the Senior Executive Institute (SEI) for Local Government at the University of Virginia, the Graduate Certificate in Local Government Leadership from Virginia Tech, and the Mini MBA Certificate Program from the University of Richmond, along with other numerous leadership and professional development programs.
Joe and his wife, Amy, are the proud parents of their son, Bruce, a senior at the Virginia Military Institute majoring in Civil Engineering.
Media Contact:
Afton Schneider
Director of Communications & Public Engagement
City of Charlottesville
434-996-0331
media@charlottesville.gov