Virginia Beach native Will Sessoms began his political career in 1988 as an at-large member of the Virginia Beach City Council. In 1992, his fellow council members selected him to be Vice Mayor, a position he held until 2002. In 2008, Sessoms was elected to serve as Mayor.

For more than 20 years, Mayor Sessoms has been actively involved in community service and has worked with numerous local and regional organizations.  These include the Virginia Beach Jaycees, the Life Saving Museum of Virginia, the American Heart Association, the Planning Council, the Boys and Girls Club, the Norfolk State University Foundation, and the Tidewater Regional Transit Authority.

Currently, Mayor Sessoms contributes his time to the Virginia Beach Foundation, the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival, the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad Foundation, the Virginia Beach Central Business District Association, Virginia Beach Vision, Eastern Virginia Medical School, the Sentara Health Care System, the Back Bay Wildfowl Guild, and the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center.

Between 1994 and 2004, Mayor Sessoms was appointed by two Virginia governors to serve on the state’s Public School Authority, the Local Health Benefits Advisory Committee and the Governor’s Commission on Environmental Stewardship. 

In 1997, Mayor Sessoms was honored to serve as King Neptune XXIV during the Neptune Festival. In 2006, he was recognized with the distinguished Virginia Beach First Citizen award.

Mayor Sessoms graduated from First Colonial High School and Virginia Commonwealth University.  In 1976, he returned to Virginia Beach to pursue a career in banking. After working at Sovran Bank for eight years and Wachovia Bank for 20 years, he joined TowneBank where he has served as the Virginia Beach President since 2005.