Former Vienna Town Manager John Schoeberlein Dies

VIENNA, VA — John Schoeberlein, the former Vienna Town Manager from 1985 to 2011, died Monday.

Schoeberlein's death was first reported by the Sun Gazette. He was 74.

"For 26 years, John Schoeberlein diligently served as Vienna Town Manager with a commitment to fiscal responsibility and preserving the community’s small-town feel," the town said in a news release in response to Schoeberlein's death. "Upon learning of Schoeberlein’s death yesterday, Town staff and leaders reflected on his remarkable 40-year record of public service."

Before becoming Vienna's town manager, Schoeberlein was city clerk for Highland Park, Illinois, assistant city manager for Pompano Beach, Florida, and a county administrator for Winnebago County, Illinois. When his role in Vienna started on April 22, 1985, he set first-year goals of conducting a community survey, evaluating infrastructure, and examining financial and operational practices for strategic planning.

In a 1985 town newsletter, Schoeberlein had said "I don’t profess to have all of the answers to problems we as Vienna residents are facing, but I am committed to work with staff and the citizens to find solutions."

The town credits Schoeberlein with presenting 26 balanced budgets, attending hundreds of Town Council meetings and work sessions, raising the town's bond rating to AAA, and overseeing construction of the police station, the Northside Property Yard, the Vienna Community Center and the Vienna Town Green.

Schoeberlein retired in May 2011 but stayed connected with town government, offering guidance to the next town manager and Town Council.

"Though the Town leadership has changed multiple times since Schoeberlein retired, his work established an operational foundation upon which the Town continues to build," the town stated.