Greetings, Williamsburg neighbors! As we enter December, I’m excited to share highlights of what happened in our community in November. It was a busy month with significant milestones and exciting developments. Here are four updates to celebrate:
Historic City Council Win: November’s election brought historic change to Williamsburg. Ayanna Williams, a William & Mary student and member of the Class of 2026, won her seat on the City Council, becoming the first currently enrolled undergraduate student to serve in this role. Ayanna also made history as the first Black woman elected to City Council. She joins a legacy of student leadership starting in 2010, but with a unique perspective and drive to connect deeply with all of our residents. Below is a picture taken right after I endorsed Ayanna at her campaign kick-off and it describes perfectly how I felt when she won!
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AVAdventure Event Review: This year, AVAdventure Productions took Williamsburg by storm, organizing incredible events funded through our Tourism Development Fund. With $550,000 allocated for year-round event management, AVAdventure brought us The Last Word Comedy Festival, Ampersand International Arts Festival, Williamsburg Whiskey & Wine Weekend, BurgQuest, and the Virginia Cat Festival. These events spanned two fiscal years and created vibrant opportunities for residents and visitors to connect and celebrate Williamsburg’s unique culture.
Prince’s “Pieces of History” Mural Unveiling: Williamsburg recently welcomed a stunning new mural that speaks to the resilience and unity of our community. The mural features a woman quilting the history of our nation from north to south, east to west. The artist, renowned Steve Prince, describes the woman as carrying the weight of our nation’s issues, embodying strength and hope as she works to mend broken places and promote healing. Since the City Council expanded public art to allow murals in the midtown area, this is the fifth unveiling in four years!
GIOs Adopted for 2025–2026: Last month, we reached a key milestone in our strategic planning process. After months of public input through Future Festivals, surveys, and a City Council retreat, we finalized the draft Goals, Initiatives, and Outcomes (GIOs) for 2025–2026. These include 40 focused strategic initiatives to guide us through the next two years. Following City Council’s review and refinement at the November work session, staff will finalize these GIOs into a community document, which will also be included in our budget plan. We’ll also present this plan publicly after our December Work Session event. The public is invited to attend here!
As always, thank you for your engagement and dedication to our city. Williamsburg is a special place, and it’s because of residents like you that we continue to thrive. Stay tuned for more updates next month (and my last newsletter on Council!), and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or ideas to share.
Yours in service,
Caleb
**this Newsletter is mine alone and does not represent the input of the entire City Council
