Sanford B. Wanner to receive 2009 Prentis Award
Sanford "Sandy" B. Wanner, longtime county administrator and public servant for James City County, has been named this year's recipient of the College of William & Mary's Prentis Award. William & Mary President Taylor Reveley will present the award during a reception at the Wren Building on May 5, 2009.
"Sandy Wanner has been a vital force for the good of our community for many years," said Reveley. "He has also been a great friend to William & Mary. For a living exemplar of the sort of civic-mindedness we hope to instill in our students, all we need to do is point them toward Sandy."
The annual Prentis Award is given to those people whose civic involvement benefits the community and the College. The award is named in honor of the Williamsburg family whose 18th-century shop on Duke of Gloucester Street was a hub of colonial life. Members of the Prentis family have been friends of the College and the community since 1720, when the store was first established in Williamsburg.
James City County's chief executive officer for the past dozen years, Wanner is responsible for developing the annual budget and carrying out policies and laws which are reviewed and approved by the Board of Supervisors.
A native of New Jersey, Wanner received his bachelor's degree in education from Trenton State Teachers College and his master's degree in administration from George Washington University. He served in the Marine Corps for 21 years and received the Bronze Star with Combat V, 18 Strike-Flight Air Medals, and a Defense Meritorious Service Medal. Following his retirement, Wanner became the director of business affairs for the Fredericksburg City Public School System. From 1981 to 1985, he served as the director of finance for Williamsburg-James City County Schools. In July of 1985, Wanner became the general manager of James City Service Authority, serving as project manager for various efforts, including the Ware Creek Reservoir and the construction of the James City-Williamsburg Recreation Center. From 1990 to 1996, Wanner served as the assistant county administrator for James City County, and in April 1996, he became the acting county administrator. He was appointed to his current position on Aug. 13, 1996.
Wanner has long served the local community. He is a member of the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail Authority, Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, Virginia Peninsula Public Service Authority, Peninsula Sports Facility Authority, the Historic Triangle Funders Forum, and the Board of Trustees for the Williamsburg Community Health Foundation. Additionally, during the last 10 years, he has been the First Colony District Colonial Virginia Council Boy Scouts of America Chairman.
As one of the founding members of the Crossroads Project, Wanner has worked closely with leaders of local government and other major institutions in the area - especially the College of William & Mary. He is a member of the Crossroads Steering Committee, which has engaged the community to develop shared interests and successfully worked on the New Town project and the future of Eastern State Hospital.
In years past, Wanner has served on the Greater Williamsburg United Way Board of Directors, the Board of Directors of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Williamsburg and the Colonial Chapter American Red Cross Board. Additionally, he has been the president of the Jamestown 4-H Center and president of the Board of Directors of Child Development Resources.
Wanner has received numerous awards and commendations for his public service, including the Hampton Roads American Society of Public Administration Distinguished Service Award, the Boy Scouts of America's Silver Beaver and Good Scouter Awards, the Korczowski-Fuller Award for Exceptional Civic Service from Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg, the Roll of the Drum award from The Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance, and the Ideal of Service Award from the Rotary Club and the James City County Board of Supervisors Chairman's award in 2008. He is married to Judith Jones-Wanner, and they have four adult children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
