Chuck Slemp (’10), a graduate of Regent University with dual degrees from the Robertson School of Government and the School of Law, was recently elected as Commonwealth Attorney for Wise County, Virginia. After a hard-fought campaign, Slemp was elected on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 with over 57% of the vote and took office on January 1st.Slemp grew up on a farm in Wise County in a family with a long history of involvement in politics, which he says instilled in him a sense of responsibility to serve and help others from an early age. After receiving his undergraduate degree in business administration, he came to Regent University where he completed a master’s degree in law & public policy and a juris doctorate from the schools of government and law; he was awarded Outstanding Graduate for the Robertson School of Government in 2010. Reflecting on his time at Regent, Slemp said: “My wife and I are blessed to be part of the Regent University family. We both worked and studied at Regent and we loved our time at the university. Regent brought us into close contact with others who desire to serve their communities and change the world for the better. Not only did we earn a world class education there, but we made lifelong friends that still strengthen our faith and family and serve as lasting examples of servant leadership.” Some of Slemp’s biggest supporters during the campaign were friends from the Regent community.
After completing his degrees from Regent and further post-graduate study in Oxford, England, Slemp decided to return to Southwestern Virginia to start his own law firm serving clients in local government, criminal defense, and domestic relations practice areas. One of his particular passions is the area of juvenile abuse and neglect, and during this time, he served as Guardian ad Litem for abused and neglected children and was also appointed by the Governor of Virginia to serve as a citizen member of the Commission on Youth in Virginia. Slemp hasn’t hesitated to emphasize his commitment to protect children from abuse and neglect during his term as Commonwealth Attorney. Apart from his work in private legal practice, he has also served in multiple local government positions, and served as Attorney for the town of Pennington Gap and as Commissioner of Accounts and General Receiver for Wise County and Norton city before taking office as Commonwealth Attorney.
Throughout his campaign, Slemp focused on five major commitments: to protect children from abuse and neglect; to work closely with local law enforcement, to value the needs of victims of crime; to fight drugs and substance abuse; and to protect senior citizens. Having grown up in Wise County, he is honored to have received such overwhelming support and now hopes to serve its communities through working hard, treating people right, and fulfilling these commitments as he takes office.