Glenn Oder, executive director of Fort Monroe Authority, to retire this year

The Fort Monroe Authority announced Friday that Executive Director Glenn Oder will retire from the position effective Oct. 1.

Oder has led the authority for 12 years after serving as a delegate in the Virginia General Assembly. According to a release, Oder’s direction steered the authority through numerous leadership changes in the state government, and his efforts expanded the authority’s scope to include significant property management responsibilities, utility operations, and the management of both residential and commercial properties.

“His dedication and vision have been instrumental in preserving the legacy of Fort Monroe for future generations,” Fort Monroe Authority Chairman Jim Moran said in a statement.

Oder, who will turn 67 next month, was unavailable for comment Friday.

Phyllis Terrell, a spokesperson for the Fort Monroe Authority, said Oder told the authority he is not leaving for another position and that his departure is “an actual retirement.”

“I think he’s definitely looking forward to the next chapter in his life with his wife,” she said.

The authority credits Oder for preserving and revitalizing Fort Monroe. The authority is now involved in many long-range projects that began under his leadership, including real estate investment, utility upgrades, and the African Landing Memorial, which commemorates the landing of the first enslaved Africans in English-speaking North America who were brought to present-day Fort Monroe in 1619.

During Oder’s time as executive director, the authority expanded its responsibilities to include owning and managing the historic Casemate Museum, constructed a $9 million visitor and education center, and received national and international acclaim as a site of memory on the UNESCO Slave Labor Route Project.

In the release, Oder said he remains committed to supporting the authority and its mission, stating, he will continue to fulfill his obligations as executive director and support the board “in whatever ways called upon during this transitional period.”

Oder had a salary of $191,947 in 2022, according to data previously provided by the authority. More current salary information was not immediately available.

The Fort Monroe Authority will conduct its next meeting April 17-18 to discuss the transition and the search for a new leader. The executive director position has been retitled to chief executive officer of the Fort Monroe Authority, effective July 1.

Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com