Virginia Association of Counties General Counsel Phyllis A. Errico, CAE, will be retiring at the end of the year, concluding a distinguished career at the Association as an advocate and advisor. Errico joined VACo in March 2002 and provided expert legal advice to the Association’s Board of Directors and staff, as well as advocating for the interests of county governments in a variety of policy areas, including procurement, land use, public safety, and the Freedom of Information Act. She provided key staff support for the Certified County Supervisors’ Program for many years, spearheaded a complete revision of the Virginia County Supervisors Manual, and played a vital role in ensuring that local governments received a share of opioid litigation settlement dollars to support prevention and treatment efforts.
Prior to her tenure at VACo, Errico served as Senior Assistant County Attorney in Henrico County, Assistant County Attorney in Hanover County, and Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Errico continued to support the local government legal community throughout her time at VACo, coordinating participation in amicus briefs in important legal cases and serving as a resource for city and county attorneys throughout the state. Her colleagues in the Local Government Attorneys of Virginia honored her extensive contributions to the field by selecting her to receive the Edward J. Finnegan Elizabeth D. Whiting Award for Distinguished Service in 2023.
Errico also dedicated years of service to the association community, serving as President of the Virginia Society of Association Executives in 2020. In 2022, she was honored with the Virginia Society of Association Executives Award of Excellence for Association Staff.
VACo Executive Director Dean Lynch said, “Phyllis has been a champion for local governments throughout her career, and she helped make VACo the strong organization it is today. This is a bittersweet time – we wish Phyllis a happy and fulfilling retirement, and we will miss her very much.”
Errico said, “Being part of the VACo organization has been the ideal career crowning experience for me. Being part of the VACo team has combined my years of experience in both State and Local Government with my passion for good public policy and service to our communities. I truly value all of the experiences I’ve had over the years and most importantly the people I’ve had the pleasure to work with.”