2020 Endorsed Candidates

Councilman Michael Berlucchi joined Virginia Beach City Council in May 2019 and one of his first votes was to approve a budget increasing funding for education and full-day kindergarten, funding a public safety pay plan that meaningfully addressed pay compression, and made the largest investment in stormwater and recurrent flooding mitigation.
Councilman Berlucchi is committed to increasing teacher salaries which have still not recovered from the last recession, and this year’s economic shutdown has strained state and local resources again. Berlucchi and City Council did find millions of additional dollars to dedicate to education to replace cuts in state support.

Councilman Berlucchi has been a champion not only for teachers and students, but for those whose voices are not frequently heard. He has fought for greater funding for mental health services and to eliminate discrimination wherever it exists. He supported making Virginia Beach a center for clean energy and to help those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and its economic consequences.

Councilman Berlucchi earned a BA in Government and International Politics from George Mason University after graduating from First Colonial High School. He is the Community Relations Manager for the Chrysler Museum of Art and serves and supports numerous community and nonprofit organizations.

Councilman Berlucchi won his 2019 special election with 76% of the vote and is on the ballot this fall for a full term.

Bill was born in Portsmouth NH, the oldest of six children, in a middle-class family. He has earned a BA in Philosophy, M. Div. and D. Min. degrees. He was ordained a Catholic priest and served for 24 years. In 1998 Bill resigned from the priesthood and began a career as a Financial Advisor, a profession he continues today.

Bill married Paula Dale, a retired Virginia Beach Schools administrator, in 1998. He lives in the Larkspur neighborhood enjoying friends, family; especially his two grandchildren.

The 40 years of living in Virginia Beach are marked by service to the City and her people. Bill was a founder of the Virginia Beach Homeless Coalition which developed the winter shelter program utilizing Churches and synagogues. He helped to organize the Virginia Beach Police chaplains and served with them for five years. He chaired the committee which led to the establishment of the Human Rights Commission and helped to organize and serve as the first chair for the Investigative Review Panel. He served for 12 years on the Virginia Beach Personnel Board as well as a number of other task forces and committees.

He seeks a seat on City Council to continue serving Virginia Beach and her people. The focus of his campaign is responding to the effects of the pandemic on education, public safety, and our economy. Addressing the call to confront systematic racism, and continue to foster greater inclusion in our city.
Your vote would be greatly appreciated.

In these challenging times, Virginia Beach needs a leader who is unquestionably committed to education, teachers, and young people. Councilwoman Rosemary Wilson is that leader.

Councilwoman Rosemary Wilson, the only member of Council who served on our School Board, is a former teacher and has led on securing the necessary funding, often against strong political opposition, for full-day kindergarten, lower class sizes, and increasing teacher salaries.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Rosemary Wilson has put the health and safety of Virginia Beach students and teachers first.
A graduate of Bayside High School, Rosemary Wilson earned her BS in Education, summa cum laude, at Old Dominion University, and is a Fellow of the Sorensen Institute of Political Leadership, University of Virginia as well as the Civic Leadership Institute at Old Dominion University. Rosemary served as President of the Virginia Municipal League and was honored as one of the Most Influential Women of Virginia by Lawyer’s Weekly Magazine.

Councilwoman Rosemary Wilson is seeking re-election to make sure our teachers and our schools are kept fiscal sound and that the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t impact the great quality of education people expect in Virginia Beach and we move forward to bolder and brighter futures for our youngest generation.

Council Member Wooten was sworn into office on Tuesday, November 20, 2018, to fill the unexpired term of the seat Mayor Dyer vacated as the Centerville district representative in Virginia Beach. She is a native of Stuttgart, Germany, but grew up in Hampton Roads and has lived in Virginia Beach for over 15 years. Her passions include combatting poverty and homelessness and protecting our natural resources and quality of life. Sabrina brings seventeen years of business, leadership, and administrative experience in the private and non-profit sectors.

Wooten’s professional mediation firm Strategic Impact Services, LLC, provides mediation services and business management solutions to business organizations and the community. Additionally, she serves as a professor at Old Dominion University and Regent University where she teaches African American studies and American government and public policy.

She was appointed to the 2018 Board of Governors for the National Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Executives. Prior to the November 2018 election, Wooten was vice-chair of the city’s Minority Business Council, and chair of the outreach committee. She was also a member of the city’s process improvement steering committee and is a member of the National Small Business Association, the American Society for Public Administration, and the National Association of Professional Women. She is also a former chaplain for the Virginia Beach Police Department.

A published author, Wooten graduated from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Science in political science. She received master’s degrees in business management and public administration from Regent University. She also earned a certificate in biblical studies from Liberty University and a certificate in practical theology from Regent University. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in public policy and administration with a concentration in nonprofit management and leadership. Wooten resides with her husband, Donald in the Centerville District.