Leesburg, VA (November 7, 2025) – Town Manager Kaj Dentler has announced his retirement, following almost 30 years spent in the Town of Leesburg government, including 11 as Town Manager. 

Dentler joined Town staff in 1996 as the Director of the Town’s Parks & Recreation Department. During his 12 years leading Parks & Recreation, Dentler expanded the Ida Lee Park Recreation Center, and opened the original Catoctin SkatePark, Ida Lee Park Tennis Center, and Freedom Park. As Parks and Recreation Director, the Town acquired 86 acres in 2000 for future parkland along the Potomac River—the currently under construction Veterans Park. While Director, the Department also completed a 20-year comprehensive master plan for parks, recreation, open space, greenways, and trails, and won numerous parks and recreation awards, including the prestigious National Gold Medal Award for Excellence.

Dentler was named the Town’s Deputy Town Manager under former Town Manager John Wells in January 2008. While Deputy Town Manager, he also served as Acting Director of the Planning and Zoning Department, Capital Projects Management Department, and the Leesburg Executive Airport at different times.

Dentler started as Leesburg’s Town Manager in October 2014 following Wells’ retirement. Customer service has been a cornerstone of his legacy as Town Manager, with Dentler regularly emphasizing to his staff, “Customer service is at the heart of everything we do in Leesburg.” His staff embodied that mantra from the top down, with staff members regularly going the extra mile for Town residents and business owners with after-hours outreach, assistance, and just that little bit of additional effort that sets Leesburg apart as a special place to live, work, and own a business.

Dentler also challenged his staff to embark on continuous process improvements, emphasizing the need not just to meet, but to always aim to exceed expectations.

During his tenure as Town Manager, Leesburg has enjoyed financial stability thanks to sound fiscal planning, including the first time in its history that Leesburg achieved a Triple-A credit rating by all three rating agencies in 2015, a rating that has been maintained for the last decade. The Town has also enjoyed relative stability in the workforce thanks to Dentler’s emphasis on hiring, training, retaining, and promoting top-performing staff.

Along with the Town Council and Town Attorney’s Office, Dentler was actively engaged in the Town’s annexation of Compass Creek. Approved by the Commission on Local Government and a special court appointed by the Virginia Supreme Court in 2024, this six-year effort brought 400 acres into the Town’s corporate limits for economic development purposes and, at full build-out, is expected to be the largest amount of tax revenue brought into a jurisdiction via annexation or boundary line adjustment in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Prior to joining Town staff, Dentler worked for the Town of Herndon and the City of Chesapeake, bringing his total years of public service to more than 40. Dentler holds a bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Leisure Services from Virginia Wesleyan College and a master’s degree in Urban Affairs/Public Administration from Norfolk State University.

"Serving the Town of Leesburg for almost 30 years with the last 11 as Town Manager has been a privilege and an honor,” stated Dentler. “I have been fortunate to work with so many outstanding people in Leesburg, all desiring to make Leesburg a better place. I am very proud of what we have accomplished together and want to thank the Mayor and Council for the opportunity to serve in this capacity and for their continuous support over the years including some challenging times like the 2016 blizzard and COVID in 2020. I also want to thank the Town staff who truly keep this Town running. Their professionalism and dedication is simply outstanding. As I transition towards retirement and work with Council to welcome the next Town Manager, I am proud that the Town of Leesburg remains on the right course for continued success and is well positioned for the future.”

“Kaj has led Leesburg during a time of tremendous growth and changes. He made sure the Town government delivered services with very modest resources and staffing. His philosophy of meeting not just the needs of the residents but also the expectations is core to his success as a Leesburg’s Town Manager for the last 11 years. His deep understanding of Leesburg helped in so many difficult situations. He valued each employee and brought out the best in his staff.  I personally will miss his wit, humor, and guidance which often lead to interesting discussions. Leesburg was very lucky to have Kaj serve as Town Manager and his replacement will have big shoes to fill,” stated Mayor Kelly Burk. 

Dentler’s retirement will be effective October 2026. The Council will work with the assistance of the Town’s Human Resources Department and an executive search firm to conduct a nationwide search for his successor.

Media Contact: 
Kara Rodriguez, Public Information Officer 
pio@leesburgva.gov Ÿ 703-669-1425