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At its final meeting of the year, the Lynchburg City Council on Tuesday honored two outgoing members of council for their years of service to the city. Ward III Councilman Jeff Helgeson, who served more than 20 years on council, and Ward I Councilwoman MaryJane Dolan, who served more than eight years on council, were presented with keys to the city by Lynchburg Vice Mayor Chris Faraldi, who presided over the meeting. Helgeson announced in early September he would not be running for re-election.
In the spring, Dolan announced she would not seek a third term on council. “We commend you for your hard work and the lasting impact you have made on Lynchburg,” Faraldi said before presenting Dolan with the key to the city. Mayor Stephanie Reed was unable to attend Tuesday night’s meeting due to illness.
In her comments, Dolan said it was fitting her final appearance on the council dais occurred during the celebration of the holidays because she has much to celebrate from her last eight years on council. “I celebrate the voices in my community that have been my guidance,” Dolan said. “I celebrate the city leadership whose leadership continues to be inclusive for all of our citizens.
” Dolan gave a special thank you to her family, who she said has been the “wind at her back.” In his comments, Ward I Councilman Sterling Wilder thanked Dolan for her time on council and the philanthropic work she has done in Lynchburg. “Our city is better because of you and your family,” Wilder said.
Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts First elected to council as an independent in 2016, Dolan served as the city’s vice mayor from 2018 to 2020 and as mayor for the 2020 to 2022 term. She told The News & Advance in the spring that she loved serving the community on council so much that she sometimes feels she’s “gotten more out of it” than she’s given. A native of Minnesota, Dolan moved to Lynchburg in 1978 when she married Ron Dolan.
After the move, she founded Colonial Brokerage House, an insurance brokerage agency serving the mid-Atlantic region. After more than 40 years in the insurance business, Dolan retired in 2008 to focus on community initiatives in Lynchburg. In his recognition of Helgeson, Faraldi said “it is important to note that this is the longest-serving member of city council in the history of our city.
” “Thank you for your commitment and contributions throughout your tenure on council. You will be missed,” Faraldi said. In his comments Tuesday night, Helgeson, who is also a native of Minnesota, said he is glad to see that Republicans will hold a 6-1 majority when the new city council is seated next month after many years when he was the only GOP vote on council.
“Hopefully going forward, there will be lots of good conservative leadership,” Helgeson said. At-large Councilman Martin Misjuns said Helgeson has taught him a lot in the many years they’ve know each other. “The major thing that I’ve gotten from Jeff is it’s not about us.
It’s about all of you,” Misjuns said pointing to the audience in Council Chambers. “Every single decision has always been about the citizens ahead of the government.” During his time on council, Helgeson served as chairman of its Finance Committee.
He is also a former president of the Lynchburg Jaycees and a former member of the Lynchburg Planning Commission. Helgeson, a financial consultant, is a professor in the finance department at Liberty University. Curt Diemer, a Republican, will be taking over as Ward III councilman in January after winning election in November.
Fellow Republican Jacqueline Timmer will be succeeding Dolan as Ward I councilwoman after her victory in a three-way race in November..
