Here In Hanover
Mike Flagg retiring from Hanover County after distinguished 27-year career
Mike Flagg managed it all – solid waste and recycling, road construction, project management, compliance with environmental regulations, crisis response, flood mitigation and Hanover’s airport, to name just a few. That might sound daunting, but for Hanover County’s retiring Public Works Director, responsibility and initiative are fundamental parts of his character.
Hanover veterans recall historic events
May is Military Appreciation Month, and Hanover’s veterans give us much to appreciate. Some have experienced history up close.
On September 11, 2001, Commander George Navas was serving in the Navy’s Quadrennial Defense Review Office at the Pentagon. His actions on that tragic day resulted in him being awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, which is awarded to individuals who have achieved distinction through outstanding non-combat meritorious achievement or service to the United States.
When al-Qaeda terrorists crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon at 9:37 that morning, Navas was in a third-floor hallway near the impact location. “I heard the aircraft before impact,” he recalls. “I heard it throttle up before it hit the building. I was close enough to be knocked down by the pressure.”
County recognizes longtime employees
The Board of Supervisors on May 10 recognized nearly 100 Hanover County Government employees for their length of service, including one employee with 40 years of service to the public: Mike Whitley with the Department of Public Utilities.
Whitley has been with the department almost since its inception and is its longest serving employee. He started with Public Utilities in 1982 as an operator-in-training at the Doswell Water Treatment Plant. In 1988 he moved to field operations and in 1993 was promoted Superintendent of Field Operations, the position he holds today.