On September 11, the Alexandria City Council appointed Joanna C. Anderson as Acting City Attorney, effective immediately. Anderson has been Alexandria’s Chief Deputy City Attorney since 2016, and previously served as Assistant City Attorney. She has provided legal counsel on major infrastructure projects, interpretation of the City’s zoning ordinance, processing of development applications, small area planning, and major citywide initiatives. Anderson succeeds James L. Banks, who resigned on September 7.
“Joanna’s many years of experience and long tenure with the City have prepared her for success in this new role,” said Mayor Allison Silberberg. “Her expertise providing legal counsel on complex land use issues to City Council, the Planning Commission, and City departments is an invaluable asset to the City.”
Anderson, a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, began working in the Alexandria City Attorney’s Office as a Law Clerk in 2001, and received her law degree from the George Mason University School of Law in 2003. She will lead the City Attorney’s Office in an acting capacity until a permanent City Attorney is appointed.
