Mimi Elrod, a local educator and civic leader, and the first woman ever elected mayor of Lexington, died on March 25 at age 81. Her passing marks the end of an era for many in Lexington who remember her not only as a public figure, but as a neighbor, mentor, and tireless advocate for education and community life.
“The big thing is that she was the first female mayor,” said Jon Ellestad, who served as Lexington’s city manager during much of Elrod’s time in office. “She needs to be remembered for that, [as it was] certainly groundbreaking.”
But Elrod’s tenure as mayor from 2008 to 2016 was also marked by accomplishments that proved her dedication and belief in public service.
One of those major accomplishment was presiding over discussions surrounding the rebuild of Waddell Elementary School, a project she championed from start to finish.
“She was a strong supporter of the schools, always,” said Ellestad. “When the School Board wanted to accelerate the timeline for rebuilding the elementary school, Mimi shepherded that through the Council. It was a $14 million project, and issuing that much debt required a significant increase in real estate taxes. That had to be sold to the citizens, and she was a strong supporter of doing that. It turned out the school was in worse shape than we even knew … She made it happen.”
Her vision also helped shape downtown Lexington as citizens know it today — from benches and planters to updated signage and blackpainted lampposts.
“She was a very strong supporter of downtown,” Ellestad recalled. “You can see her legacy when you walk down Main Street. Even getting the new trash cans — people will think that’s stupid, but it really wasn’t at the time. It mattered.”
Elrod even attempted to make the city more bikefriendly — an intention that is actually coming to fruition with the current Virginia Department of Transportation project on North Main Street, nine years after the end of her tenure. “Yeah, she supported that,” said Ellestad. “I can’t say there was tremendous progress at the time; nothing of the magnitude that they’re doing now on North Main Street.”
Born in Atlanta in 1944, Miriam “Mimi” Milner Elrod began her career in education teaching junior high in Harlem, New York, in the 1960s. She later earned her doctorate. in early childhood development from Iowa State University before moving to Lexington in 1984, when her husband, John Elrod, was hired by Washington and Lee University. John would eventually serve as W&L’s president, and Mimi became an integral part of university life in her own right.
She joined W&L’s Admissions Office in the mid-1980s and later directed the Summer Scholars program, a fourweek academic experience for high school students.
Rob Fure, a colleague in W&L’s Lifelong Learning program, recalled her impact in an email to the News-Gazette: “For several years, she capably oversaw the admissions, staffing, and academic offerings of the program. She was ideally suited to the management of Summer Scholars. Mimi was admired for her keen intelligence, her graciousness, and her devotion to the university. She was beloved by all who served in the program and by the hundreds of students whose introduction to W&L was through Summer Scholars. She was also a valued colleague in planning and hosting W&L’s alumni colleges as well as its educational travel program. We are all better for having known her.”
In 2002, following the death of her husband, Elrod pivoted toward politics. She ran for the House of Delegates and lost —but kept going. A year later, she was appointed to Lexington City Council, then elected in her own right in 2006. Two years after that, she made history as Lexington’s first female mayor.
Throughout her time in office, she took on causes that reflected both conscience and courage. She had joined civil rights marches in her youth and was one of over 100 local women who planned to attend the Women’s March on Washington in 2017. She chaired the Mayor’s Youth Council and supported local anti-racism efforts. She also served on the executive committee of the Virginia Municipal League, representing small cities statewide.
She presided over one of the most high-profile City Council votes in recent memory — the 2011 flag ordinance that barred Confederate battle flags from municipal poles. She stood firm during contentious public hearings and insisted on taking action on the measure, even as protests raged outside.
Elrod showed a keen awareness of the difficulty of political work, especially in areas that arouse passions. “If you’re too unwilling to make people mad, don’t run for public office,” she once said.
A lifelong Presbyterian and four-term president of the Project Horizon board, Elrod’s community involvement was both broad and deep. She served on numerous boards, including the Rockbridge Area Community Services Board and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, where she was reappointed by two governors and helped guide outreach and academic policy across the state.
Even after leaving public office, Elrod remained engaged. In 2018, she was appointed to the Commonwealth’s Board of Housing and Community Development by Gov. Ralph Northam.
Mimi Elrod is survived by her sons, Adam and Joshua, and five grandchildren. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on June 7 at Lexington Presbyterian Church. The full obituary can be found on page 3.
