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Mayor and Council Members
Town Council Mission
As stewards worthy of community trust, we work to discern, define, and implement an agenda to nurture and preserve our residents’ quality of life. Through Town Council policies and leadership, we foster an open, cooperative, and admired model government that encourages full public participation and ensures the level of services our citizens expect and deserve.
Read the Town Council Strategic Initiatives & Accomplishments here.
Contact Town Council
To email all Town Council Members please use this link: Send Email
Please note that when emailing the Town Council or Town staff, individually or collectively, such correspondence is subject to public inspection under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Town Council Members
Mayor Stanley J. Milan, Sr.
Stanley served in the Military as a Missile Technician on Trident Submarines and retired after 22 years of service. As First Lieutenant while stationed aboard the USS Alaska (SSBN 732), he supervised the training, advancement, and personal growth of the Deck Division and the Weapons Department (Missile and Fire Control Technicians) in the United States Navy. He also performed the duties of career counselor and command financial counselor to his peers and junior personnel in the Navy.
In addition to his 30 year service to our country, he was also a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for Kitsap County in Washington State. His volunteering spirit and serving the public continued after moving to Fairfax Va. and volunteered to be a Reserve Deputy Sheriff in Fairfax County. As a Law Enforcement Officer, he used his restraint under pressure, collaborative problem solving skills, resiliency, and assertive demeanor to advance the goal of serving and protective the community.
Stanley’s career in the IT services spans over 3 decades. Employed by the top 5 defense contractors in the nation, his positions as Information Security System Officer (ISSO) and Industrial Special Security Administrator (ISSA) often required overseas travels, with a most recent 6 month and 9 month deployments in Afghanistan. This experience afforded the opportunity to witness the first-hand global scale of politics and the importance of local governance.
In his free time, Stanley studies Yoga and is a 5th degree Master Black Belt in Hapkido and a 4th degree black belt in Taekwondo. He has taught self -defense classes at Loudoun Valley Yoga and is an instructor at a DoJang in Herndon, Va. His academic Bachelor of Science degree is in Occupational Education from Southern Illinois University. He utilized this skill as the Tudor Co-Ordinator for the local High School in Siverdale, Wa. This program involved the talents from the Military base Sailors and contractors to Mentor students in math and sciences. A preclude to the current STEM programs of today.
Stanley will serve on Purcellville’s Town Council as a diverse voice of the residents, focusing on maintaining the family values and small town feel of the community. His unique perspective provides an outlook necessary to propel Purcellville in the direction of the future.
Council member Mary Jane Williams
Mary Jane Williams has been a resident of Purcellville since 2002 and is the proud wife of Karl and mother of Kolby. Kolby is a 2017 graduate of Loudoun Valley High School and a 2020 graduate of the College of William and Mary.
Her focus in serving the Citizens of Purcellville revolve around the basic concerns voiced by many: maintaining our small town character, managing economic growth that helps keep taxes low and our infrastructure sound plus listening to the voices of the citizens.
One of her desires is to bring the “voice of the people”, especially the younger adults in our community into the decision making process whether through “community chats” or “citizen input” during the Town Council meetings. She would like to focus on the voice of the youth in helping shape the future of our Town. Our citizens want to be a part of the system, but need the open invitation to allow them to speak.
Mrs. Williams was a Social Science and Global Studies teacher for over 30 years, with the past 20 years being spent in Loudoun County. Upon retirement in June of 2020, Mrs. Williams was teaching at Loudoun Valley High School along with serving as Department Chair and Activities Coordinator. Throughout her career she served as a teacher of government and economics plus was the Debate Coach at Stone Bridge High School, the Model Judiciary Sponsor at both Stone Bridge High School and Loudoun Valley along with being a senior class sponsor. As a teacher, she made a point of reminding students of their civic responsibilities including voting, jury duty and sharing their opinions with others. Thus, with her own advice, she decided to run for Town Council and become a truly active member of the community; hopefully one that the citizens will share their ideas with.
Mary Jane graduated in May 1985 from SUNY Potsdam with a BA in History along with 7-12 Certification in Social Studies. In May 1986, she graduated from the University of Virginia with a Masters in Education degree. Throughout her teaching career, she has been a life long learner in the social sciences, including political science, law and economics
Current Term of Office: July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2024
Email: Send Email (mjwilliams@purcellvilleva.gov)
Council Member Carol Luke
Current Term of Office: January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2026
Email: Send Email (cluke@purcellvilleva.gov)
Council Member Mary Frances “Boo” Bennett
After an extended search and visits to many small towns throughout Virginia and North Carolina, the Bennett family chose Purcellville in 2001 to be their home. The mountains and small town lifestyle along with the W&OD were perfect.
Since 2017 Boo has served on the Planning Commission. A wide variety of projects have paraded before the commission for approval, but the highlight of her tenure included the completion of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan and its passage by the Town Council in 2020.
Since that time, the alignment of a new zoning ordinance with the comp plan has been the focus for Bennett and her fellow commissioners.
Bennett bills herself as a Jill-of-all-trades — enjoying lots of simple, work at local businesses and with neighbors. She is seen throughout the spring and summer at the Abernathy & Spencer greenhouses. In addition, pet sitting and custodial work at shops in town bring her into contact with residents and business owners. She sells advertising for the Blue Ridge Leader newspaper as well.
A native of Piqua, Ohio she moved to the D.C. area after graduating from the School of Journalism at Ohio University. Her love has always been advertising and marketing.
Biking the W&OD, walking her dogs, or leisure walks with friends are favorite pastimes.
Boo’s desire as a council member is to see that the treasured small town of Purcellville remains intact, yet prospers. Small towns are what America is all about for the majority of families. Preservation of neighborliness and traditional values are key to fostering a wholesome life.
Always, Bennett pledges to place the needs of Purcellville's citizens first and maintain their quality of life and that of the town.
Current Term of Office: January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2026
Email: Send Email (mbennett@purcellvilleva.gov)
Council Member Erin Rayner
Council Member Caleb Stought
Vice Mayor Christopher Bertaut
Chris has been employed locally in the telecommunications and IT industries for the last 22 years. In the telecom industry, he served in a variety of roles in planning and building networks and driving efficiency while including and uniting competing perspectives to bring better services to the customer. His employers are among the top names in telecommunications, IT, and data center services.
Chris has served our community in a variety of ways. He served for several years as an adult leader for both his sons in the Boy Scouts. He also served on the Town's Economic Development Advisory Committee, helping to develop sources of income from the town's $130 million in underutilized assets.
Chris Bertaut earned a Masters degree in Geography from the University of Georgia in 1998. His Masters thesis was published in a book of papers on Urban Geography. He has more than a decade of experience with geographic information systems.
In his free time, he enjoys distance running, watching movies and spending time with his family.
Christopher is motivated to serve on the Town Council by a desire to engage more fully in public service to Purcellville. He believes citizen input is invaluable in helping to achieve his goals of being an ally for all on the Town Council, improving public services and and charting a course toward improvements in Purcellville's economic growth and fiscal position.
He is the father of two children, one grown and one enrolled at Loudoun Valley High School. He lives with his wife, Elizabeth and two children in Purcellville.
Email: Send Email (cbertaut@purcellvilleva.gov)