Retired General Registrar of Voters Tracy Howard (left) is presented a proclamation in honor of his service from Radford Mayor David Horton (right) as council members look on, including (from left) Council Member Bobby Davis, Vice Mayor Seth Gillespie, Council Member Jessie Foster, and Council Member Kellie Artrip.
By Heather Bell
RADFORD – Radford General Registrar of Voters Tracy Howard retired Dec. 31. 2022, after 31-years of service.
The Radford City Council honored Howard with a proclamation thanking him for his service at the council’s meeting earlier this month.
“Tracy has accomplished running smooth elections and setting a precedent statewide for how elections should be conducted throughout his career,” said Radford Mayor David Horton during his reading of the proclamation.
“Tracy Howard has served Radford with dedication, expert knowledge, and love of the profession throughout his tenure, and his expertise is invaluable,” Horton said. “We honor and thank him.”
In addition to serving Radford, Howard served at various levels in the state of Virginia, including the Virginia Voter Registrar’s Association president and regional director of the association. He was awarded the Voter Registrar’s Association’s Virginia Star Award. Howard is a certified general registrar through the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia and is a fellow of the Sorenson Institute of Political Leadership at UVa.
In 2019, Howard testified at a U.S. Senate Congressional hearing regarding cybersecurity in elections.
In addition to his service to Radford through the voter registrar’s office, Howard is an expert on the city’s zoning and planning, serving for many years on the Radford Planning Commission and as a member of the Radford Board of Zoning Appeals. He is also a member of the Radford Emergency Planning Committee, is Radford’s representative to American Legion Boys State, and is a member of the board of First NRV Federal Credit Union.