Derrick Ogden is a lifelong resident of Rockbridge County and has called the town of Goshen home since 2014. He has been serving on Town Council since 2022 and is running for a second term.
“I love my town and I love the people in it,” he told The News-Gazette. “I can start off here and we can get the town going and maybe help the county, too.”
During his first term, Ogden feels that he has “helped get more young people involved” in the town, citing the fact that he’s the youngest member of Town Council as a factor in that. He’s also helped push forward on several town projects including the community center, the proposed town park, and getting a pair of emergency generators that will allow town hall and the firehouse to be used as emergency shelters in extreme weather events.
“I think I’ve helped bring a lot of ideas,” he said. “I’m not going to take away [from anybody’s contributions] … but I’m just trying to learn from people who have been doing this for a while. That way I can bring not only the old-school stuff, but the new-school as well, and find better ideas through both.”
Ogden’s main goal if reelected is to see the town’s current projects through to completion. He does have some ideas for future projects he would like to see come to fruition, such as starting a youth sports program in town utilizing the athletic fields that are planned for the park, but he doesn’t want to rush into too many projects while others are ongoing.
“You don’t want to start too many things, because then things don’t get done,” he said. “We can start talking about it and start planning stuff, but I want to make sure this park gets done for these kids and families.”
Additionally, Ogden hopes to be a leader for the town through any challenges it may face in the next several years.
“From what we’re seeing, we’re going to go through some hard times, and I want to step up and be a leader and try to get us through that,” he said. “With the leadership I’m learning and the other processes I’m learning, I think I’ll be a big help. Not just through this [term], but down the road, too.”
“I just want the best for everybody,” he added. “That’s what I want everybody to know. Of course, we can’t give everybody everything they want, but I hope we can give them things they’re comfortable with. … I want them to know that I’m trying to work for them and they can come to me anytime.”
