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About Sherman Lea, Sr.

Sherman P.  Lea, Sr. was elected mayor of the city of Roanoke May 3, 2016.  Mayor Lea began his political career as a member of Roanoke City council on July 1, 2004, and served 12 consecutive years, holding the position of Vice-Mayor between 2008 and 2010.  During his tenure while serving the citizens of Roanoke, Lea founded many initiatives including:

  • The Western Virginia Education Classic football game. This game was a fundraiser for Tap into Hope’s completion program for individuals who had dropped out of high school. The Classic’s contribution supported over 700 people in completing their GED.

  • The Domestic Violence Task Force to study problems and identify interventions related to domestic violence in the Roanoke community. The task force used an integrated approach and worked with area service provider specialists to study the domestic violence data and research best practices in other jurisdictions in effort to provide City Council with local and legislative recommendations.

  • The “Mayor’s Business Summit - Starting a Business in Roanoke” free informational series, where small-business owners and entrepreneurs were linked to resources on how to be successful in opening and operating a business in the city. The first event included a panel discussion of minority business owners. Program topics included the process for establishing a business including required licenses and permits, securing capital, funding opportunities, and tips and strategies from seasoned business owners.

  • The Annual Lea Youth Outdoor Basketball League. This is a summer program held in partnership with the Roanoke Police Department to give youth ages 11-18 a quality summer activity, and to bridge the gap and form relationships between the youth and the police officers who serve in their communities. Police officers serve as coaches and referees and each day a speaker is part of the event to engage youth in discussions and interactions with the officers and volunteers from the community.

  • The Task Force To Reduce Gun Violence, which was established to consider current practices within the City of Roanoke to address gun violence, review alternatives that have been utilized in other communities, and make recommendations to City Council to implement tangible, meaningful and transformative actions to reduce gun violence within the City of Roanoke.

As a professional, Mayor Lea spent 36 years with the Virginia Department of Corrections assisting people with criminal convictions as they re-entered the community upon release of incarceration.  His career dates back to 1976 when he began working as an Institutional Parole Officer with the Virginia Correctional Center for Women in Goochland.  Mayor Lea later served as the Adult Probation and Parole Officer, from 1978 to 1984, working in Danville and Pittsylvania County.  

In 1984, he was named Chief Probation and Parole Officer becoming the first African American to hold that position in Virginia.  Mayor Lea was promoted in 1992 to Western Regional Director.  Despite his retirement in 2012, Lea continues to work with individuals seeking release from incarceration through his appointment in 2014 to the Virginia Parole Board by Governor Terry McAuliffe. 

Additionally, Mayor Lea is the founder and president of S.P. Lea & Associates, which facilitates training sessions on topics of leadership, management, theories and practices, and maintaining the skills to remain successful in an ever-changing work environment.  Lea has facilitated workshops for various groups and various institutions of higher learning including the National Association for Blacks in Criminal Justice and the Virginia University of Lynchburg.  Lea also has conducted classroom lectures for educators studying to become superintendents.  

Mayor Lea has been involved in numerous civic and volunteer activities as well as committees, programs, and initiatives including:  

  • Member, Virginia Probation and Parole Association (VPPA)  

  • Member, National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice  (NABCJ)

  • Member, Virginia Correctional Association (VCA)

  • Chair, State Board of Directors, Virginia CARES, Inc

  • Former Chair, Board of Directors, Total Action for Progress (TAP)

  • Former Chair, Roanoke City School Board

  • Former Chair, Blue Ridge Regional School Board Association

  • Former Member, Virginia School Board Association (VSBA)

  • Founder and Chair, Annual Western Virginia Education Classic Football Game

  • Former Official, Virginia High School League Basketball/Football

  • Former Official, College Football (ACC, ODAC, and CIAA)

On September 20, 2019, Mayor Lea was inducted into the Virginia Union University Athletic Hall of Fame.  

Mayor Lea was warded the 2010 William L.  Hastie Award by the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice (NABCJ) and named the Citizen of the Year by the Gamma Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.  

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Virginia Union University, Masters Degree in Urban Development from Old Dominion University, and an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters for Humanitarian Work in the Community from Bethlehem Bible College.  

Personally, Mayor Lea is an Associate Minister of Garden of Prayer No.  7.  He is married to Clara S.  Lea; proud father to Erica L. Rosser and Sherman P. Lea Jr; and loving grandfather to twin granddaughters Jaylen and Mya and grandson Jonathan Jr.