Voters will elect three at-large town council members, listed below in ballot order. Candidates in Christiansburg run as independents.
Joshua A. Bryan
Age: 42
Family: Married with two children
Job: Maintenance supervisor for many types of facilities
Prior elected office: None
Other public service: Served in the United States Marine Corps; was honorably discharged after four years of service, including two deployments to Iraq
Education: High school, plus some college credits and trade certifications
Q&A quote: “My goal if elected is to ensure responsible planning and development as our town continues to grow. I have spoken to many residents in our town whose properties are negatively affected by past developments that may not have been planned out or executed the best.
It is very important to me to communicate with citizens and understand what their needs are, hear their concerns, and give thoughtful and respectful responses when they reach out. Which is a big reason I decided to run for office.
I was a citizen who came to council to oppose a development in my neighborhood. I wasn’t treated very well or engaged with in a respectful or thoughtful manner (or at all with some council members I reached out to ) or in a way I feel a public servant should treat citizens who reach out to them.
We, as a neighborhood, did win that fight, but it brought to light from my perspective a lack of some council members truly caring or considering what its citizens and voters had to say.”
Christine A. Waltz
Age: 56
Family: Married with four children
Job: N/A
Prior elected office: None
Other public service: Former Navy corpsman specializing in pharmacology
Education: N/A
Q&A quote: “I have no prior political experience. I, however, have been active in Christiansburg for several years. My husband and I are staunch supporters of open and responsive government.”
Harry F. Collins Jr.
Age: 73
Family: Married with four children, two step children and 13 grandchildren
Job: Retired from U.S. Postal Service, an engineering company and Shelor Motor Mile; current president and board head of the Lung Transplant Foundation; recently started a headstone servicing and cleaning business
Prior elected office: Christiansburg Town Council (2016-2019)
Other public service: Christiansburg Planning Commission (12 years)
Education: Bachelor of science in business administration and in marketing from Virginia Tech
Q&A quote: “The most important item for a Council is to preserve the Town’s infrastructure. Making sure water, sewer, trash and the like are kept up to date and never fall behind. In this, monies have to be strategically placed in the budget to ensure there is no downfall.
“Keep taxes from being raised.
“Try to get approval for people over 65 years old to be exempt from paying Personal Property Taxes. (Before this can be done, a change would have to be made at the state level in the State Constitution and the Code of Virginia. I have already talked to Delegate Chris Obenshain about this.)
“To alleviate the stagnant downtown economy, I propose we build a parking garage. Once owners see the difference this makes, restaurants, shops and the like will return downtown. I have seen this work in several locations such as Hillsborough, NC.”
Tanya J. Hockett
Age: 40
Family: Married with three kids
Job: Senior Associate managing and supporting emergency management-related projects at the Cadmus Group
Prior elected office: Christiansburg Town Council (2021- present, served as vice mayor in 2024)
Other public service: 18 years in emergency management career, working in government, higher education and nonprofits to increase public safety
Education: Master of Public Administration with a concentration in disaster management; Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Homeland Security; graduate certificate in educational technology and online instruction; currency completing courses for a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership
Q&A quote: “My top priority is organizing a strategic direction for the town. We have several key issues to balance, including enhancing and expanding our emergency services, developing policies that address housing needs in thoughtful ways, repairing and replacing critical infrastructure, and supporting our business community and downtown so they can thrive. The challenge is developing a strategic roadmap that doesn’t ignore one critical issue to focus on another. We can and should balance economic growth that supports our critical needs without overwhelming our resources. Having educated, experienced professionals and balanced leadership will help us consider our options carefully and establish intentional plans that address Christiansburg’s needs in tandem, not in competition.”
E.S. “Beth” Umberger
Age: 78
Family: Seven children, including foster children, an adopted daughter and a birth daughter
Job: Retired
Prior elected office: None
Other public service: Volunteers as a master gardener to manage the Montgomery Museum Garden and as a master naturalist to remove invasive plants from the Old Growth Forest on the Virginia Tech campus and around Christiansburg; has worked with thousands of volunteers from thousands of volunteers from students, court ordered community service, ACCE, service fraternities, churches, business and others
Education: Majored in biology at Virginia Tech
Q&A quote: “My top priority, If I get elected, would be to get more citizens to participate in the town government and work toward solutions with other governments and organizations in our area to provide a sustainable, affordable, well designed community for people of all income levels to enjoy.”
Matthew A. Hicks
Age: 49
Family: Married with four children
Job: Owner of Summit Ridge Realty and several local small businesses
Prior elected office: None
Other public service: Volunteer assistant pastor; volunteered with a homeless shelter
Education: Associate degree; bachelor’s degree from Bible college; real estate
Q&A quote: (If elected, my top priorities would be to) “save tax payer money.
“No more over expending in projects when there is alternative options example 5 million dollar loss to tax payers in aquatic center and the other over 1 million over spent on land for a new public works facility.
“Be a voice for all businesses.”
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