Deputy City Managers
Doug Beaver
Doug Beaver served 27 years in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Flight Officer and his last assignment as the Commanding Officer of Naval Station Norfolk. As Deputy City Manager, Mr. Beaver oversees a portfolio of departments that include Planning, Public Utilities, Public Works, Transit and Resilience.
In 2017, Mr. Beaver served as the Military Affairs Liaison for two years with the City of Norfolk where he developed and implemented military and veterans’ services programs and initiatives.
In August 2019, he assumed the role of Chief Resilience Officer for the City. During this time, he implemented scalable innovative solutions to current and future economic, social and physical challenges. He led the $112M Ohio Creek Watershed Project for the city that reduced flooding, improved public spaces and transformed the communities of Chesterfield Heights and Grandy Village.
Mr. Beaver became the Director of Public Utilities in January 2022 joining an award-winning department that provides drinking water to approximately 1 million people in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and area military installations as well as providing wastewater services within the City of Norfolk.
Mr. Beaver is a native of Honolulu, Hawaii, and a graduate of Virginia Tech. He earned an Executive Master of Business Administration degree from the Naval Postgraduate School.
LaVoris Pace
LaVoris Pace returns to Norfolk with more than 30 years of private-sector, municipal government and academic experience. As Deputy City Manager, Mr. Pace oversees a portfolio that includes youth initiatives, arts, culture and community partnerships.
Previously, Mr. Pace served the City of Portsmouth in a dual role as Interim City Manager until April 2021 as well as Deputy City Manager/Director of Marketing and Communications where he oversaw a portfolio that included Behavioral Healthcare Services, Marketing & Communications, Libraries, Museums, Parks, Recreation & Tourism and Social Services.
Prior to joining the City of Portsmouth, Mr. Pace served as Associate Director and Director of Marketing at Norfolk State University. He started his public service career with City of Norfolk in the early 90’s.
Mr. Pace is the recipient of multiple professional awards for various communications and marketing campaigns. He holds professional memberships with the International City/County Manager’s Association (ICMA) and 3CMA.
Mr. Pace is a 1987 Cum Laude Graduate from Norfolk State University. He received a graduate certificate in Local Government Management from Virginia Tech in 2012.
Trista Pope
Trista Pope has more than 25 years of experience in public administration. As Deputy City Manager, Ms. Pope oversees a portfolio of departments that include Norfolk Public Library, Human Services, Neighborhood Services, Housing and Community Development and Recreation, Parks and Open Space.
Ms. Pope has served the City of Norfolk in various leadership positions for the past 14 years including Acting Director of Real Estate, and Assistant Director for the Department of Public Works. She has served on the SPSA Board of Directors as an alternate for the City of Norfolk.
Ms. Pope holds a bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University, and a Master of Public Administration from Troy State University. She is also a graduate of the Project Inclusion Leadership Development Program and the Leading Educating and Developing Program from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
Ms. Pope has been a member of the Conference of Minority Public Administrators for more than 15 years and she has served as an Adjunct Professor at Tidewater Community College.
She is the immediate past president of a Norfolk chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and an active member of The Mount, Chesapeake campus. She is the proud mother of two children.
Catheryn Whitesell
Catheryn Whitesell has more than 30 years of experience in the public sector. As Deputy City Manager, Ms. Whitesell oversees Finance and Administration. Previously, she served as the Chief Solutions Officer of Strategy, Transparency, Innovation and Resiliency in the City of Virginia Beach. She championed the use of innovation, collaboration and open data within city government and with its citizenry.
In addition, Ms. Whitesell served as Director of Budget and Management Services for 15 years where she worked collaboratively across city departments to meet their missions and services in the community. She implemented a Biennial Budget, increased resident engagement in budget development and revitalized the process for performance measurements.
Ms. Whitesell received her Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Tennessee and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Lenoir-Rhyne College.
Acting Deputy City Manager overseeing Public Safety
Len Remias
Len Remias brings with him a wealth of experience in this role, having served as a retired United States Navy captain for 30 years. Throughout his distinguished career, he held several significant leadership positions, including multiple Commanding Officer assignments at-sea and ashore. In 2017, Len joined the City of Norfolk as the Technology Manager, where he successfully oversaw multi-million dollar Public Safety technology projects. Under his exceptional leadership, the Information Technology Department received numerous awards, including the prestigious Public Sector Government Innovation Award and Governor Technology Award.
Len later took on the role of Military Affairs Liaison, where he played a vital role in securing the City of Norfolk's first Defense Community Infrastructure Program Grant, amounting to $3.7M. This grant will contribute towards reducing flooding at the Hampton Boulevard Bridge benefiting both our military and community. Additionally, Len established the award-winning Hire Vets Now SkillBridge Program, which showcased Norfolk's commitment to veteran and military spouse hiring, retention, and professional development. This program garnered recognition at both the Federal and State levels.
A lifelong resident of Norfolk, Virginia, Len is a proud graduate of Lake Taylor High School and Old Dominion University. He holds a master's degree in computer science from the Naval Post Graduate School and has received multiple professional awards throughout his career, including the Bronze Star Medal for exceptional meritorious service in a combat zone in Afghanistan.
