City Sheriff Cornelia D. Johnson announced she will retire at the end of her term. At a press conference outside City Hall, Johnson said she won’t seek a fourth term as sheriff.
Quoting Senator John Warner, she said, “I have been successful. Now it is time for someone else to be successful.”
Johnson, who proudly stood in front of a small crowd of deputies and members of her team, started her career as a School Crossing Guard in 1972. Her career has hit multiple important milestones. In 1976, she became Charlottesville’s first African-American female police officer, and in 1998, she became the first female sheriff elected in the city—and second female sheriff in the state.
“It’s a highly energetic job,” she said, adding that she had “run the race,” but was “getting a little tired.”
The most rewarding experience, she said, was “working with the community.” So, what’s next? Johnson said she is really excited about her retirement. She will finally have the time to work on her Bed and Breakfast.
City Sheriff Cornelia Johnson was Charlottesville’s first African-American female police officer.