By JOBY N. CUNNINGHAM/The Free Lance-Star

The president of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce has resigned to join the Silver Cos. team.

Linda Worrell's resignation will be effective Jan. 31, according to a chamber news release yesterday. Chamber Chairman Ben Wafle will head a committee that will begin searching for a replacement immediately, the release said.

Worrell declined to comment on her move to the developer known best for building Central Park in Fredericksburg. Jud Honaker, president of the Silver Cos.' commercial division, said he looks forward to Worrell's arrival.

"I've known Linda for a long time. She's got a lot of good ideas and lot of energy. I felt she'd do real well in this environment," he said.

Honaker said Worrell will be overseeing two commercial projects, one in Northern Virginia and the other in Richmond. He declined to comment further.

Worrell joined the chamber in 2000 after Tom Taylor left the post. At the time, she had owned and operated Worrell Management Group for five years. Her daughter took over the consulting firm.

Worrell is the latest in a long line of local officials to join the Silver Cos.

Former Stafford County Administrator C.M. Williams came out of retirement in February to work as a vice president. He monitors outside development professionals such as lawyers, engineers and surveyors.

Charlie Kilpatrick, the Virginia Department of Transportation's former Fredericksburg Residency engineer, joined Silver last year. He manages commercial construction projects.

Former Spotsylvania County Administrator Anthony Barrett was hired by the company in October 2003. He doesn't have a specific title.

In June 2003, Jervis Hairston resigned as Fredericksburg's planning and community development director to become vice president for planning and development of the Silver Cos.' residential division.

Former Fredericksburg City Manager Marvin Bolinger left his post in January 2003 to join the Silver Cos. as chief operating officer of Silver Capital LLC in Boca Raton, Fla. The subsidiary acquires and manages commercial leases, funds Silver Cos. projects and lends money to other residential developers.

Richard Tremblay, executive vice president of the residential division, was Stafford County's planning and community development director before joining the Silver Cos. in 1988.

Honaker said finding the right team members is vital.

"I don't run ads for jobs," he said. "When somebody comes along that fits, we find a place for them.

"As long as you've got good people, you can do most anything you need to."

Date published: 11/12/2005

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