Mayor L. Douglas Wilder announced today that Christopher L. Beschler has been selected as the City of Richmond's Acting Chief Administrative Officer (Acting CAO). 

"Everyone in City Hall knows that Chris Beschler is a tireless professional who gets the job done. He has proven himself in his current position and I have every confidence he will serve the City well as Acting CAO," said the Mayor.

The Mayor does not intend to fill the position of CAO. Beschler will serve as Acting CAO through the remainder of the year, with direct responsibility for the day-to-day management of City departments and agencies.  He will remain as the City's Director of Public Utilities.

The Acting CAO is a distinct position under the City Charter whereby the Mayor's designation must be made from among City department heads or officers. The Mayor's selection of the Acting CAO will go before City Council for approval in September, when Council returns from its summer break.

Beschler has served as the City's Director of Public Utilities since January 2006. He oversaw the successful $20 million Shockoe Bottom drainage improvement program as well as the $46 million restoration of Battery Park following Tropical Storm Gaston. Most recently, Mr. Beschler instituted a unique plan to pre-purchase natural gas over the next 13 years that will save Richmond natural gas customers more than $23 million.

Before coming to Richmond, Beschler was employed for 26 years with Yankee Gas Services Company, Connecticut's largest natural gas utility.

During that time, he served as a staff engineer and rose to become vice president of operations and interim Chief Operating Officer. As vice president of operations, he was responsible for all aspects of operations for the 197,000-customer gas utility with a $42 million operating budget and a $45 million capital budget.

Beschler has a B.S. in mechanical engineering and a M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut.

-- The preceding was compiled from a City of Richmond news release.