Matt Rembold has been appointed as the new director of Chesterfield County’s Department of Utilities after serving more than three years as assistant director of operations and maintenance. Rembold, a licensed professional engineer with over two decades of experience in water and wastewater systems across central Virginia, joined Chesterfield in 2018 as an engineering supervisor following his tenure with Hanover County.
“I’m profoundly honored to serve alongside the team of unsung heroes whose expertise and unwavering commitment to our customers has made Chesterfield a model for utilities departments across the nation,” Rembold said. “Safe and reliable drinking water is the foundation of every sustainable community. I’m grateful to county administration for putting me in this position of public trust and look forward to building on the legacy of the leaders who came before me.”
In his previous role, Rembold managed operations and maintenance, supervising six center managers responsible for water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, industrial pretreatment, and engineering technical support. He was also tasked with planning and implementing a $1.38 billion capital improvement plan spanning fiscal years 2026 through 2036, maintaining the department’s Triple-AAA bond rating, and securing a Virginia Water Protection permit from the Department of Environmental Quality for a planned water treatment plant on the tidal Appomattox River.
“It takes a unique set of skills and personal qualities to manage the utilities system in a large, growing county like Chesterfield, and Matt checks every box,” said Jesse Smith, deputy county administrator for community development. “Beyond his deep knowledge and experience as an engineer, he understands the importance of maintaining a workplace culture where employees feel empowered and appreciated. We’re extremely confident the Utilities Department will continue to provide exceptional customer service under his leadership.”
Rembold graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering, earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, completed certification as a professional engineer in 2009, and is also an alumnus of Chesterfield’s Emerging Senior Leaders program.
Chesterfield County continues to see growth not only within its government departments but also across its school district. During the 2023-24 school year, Chesterfield County Public Schools enrolled over 64,000 students according to data from the Virginia Department of Education. The student body remains diverse: white students made up about 43% while Black students accounted for just over one-quarter during that period (source). Thomas Dale High School reported the highest enrollment among all schools in the county (source).
