Pack running for re-election as Ronceverte mayor
By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV
Deena Pack attended Ronceverte Elementary School as a child, where her mother taught for 30 years.
“Part of the reason I’m running is I want to make my mommy proud,” Pack says.
“If you grew up here, there’s something that always pulls you back. I hear from people all the time who want to move back here. They see good things happening and want to raise their family here.”
Meet Deena
Pack studied political science at Concord University before receiving her law degree from West Virginia University. Then she moved back home, hoping to make a difference in the River City.
“I want my kids to see me putting in the work and doing what I can to make their home a better place,” she shares. “It’s not perfect, but it’s safe, you look out for each other, and people want the same thing for the town.”
After Ronceverte City Council member Bob Baker died in 2018, Pack was appointed to his seat on the council. Then in 2020 when Mayor David Smith retired from public service, she decided to run for mayor and was elected.
“I thought it was a good time to step up and put my money where my mouth was,” she says with a smile. “If you want things to be better, you need to get involved and make it happen.”
During her time in office, she says she’s learned a lot.
“If I’ve learned anything, it’s that nothing happens quickly. I’ve had to be patient and understand that everything is a process. Even just paving a road is a months-long process.”
She says she’s also learned how expensive it is to run a city.
“One street alone costs around $70,000 to pave.”
Challenges aside, Pack is proud of her record and excited about the possibility of serving the people further.
Ronceverte Island Park
“Everybody at city hall, on council, and volunteers are working hard to make Ronceverte better as a team,” she says.
“One of our goals has been to take full advantage of the park. So far I think we have been moving forward in that regard with the splash pad, nonverbal communication boards, new playground, we’ve got the mini golf coming, disc golf coming, pickleball coming, and are making improvements to basketball courts. I’m very happy with the park progress.”
Downtown
“Another area I wanted to focus on was downtown,” Pack says. “While there’s still work to be done, we have made some big steps. We’ve got some new businesses in town, breathing new life into some of the historical buildings, working to repair the electrical issues with lighting, tearing down dilapidated properties. All of those things are steps in the right directions.”
Pack also thanks residents for their patience with the town’s stormwater drainage project, which is an $8.6 million project paid for by the state to help reduce flooding when future storms hit.
“It’ s been a much longer process than we expected,” she says. “It’s still happening and will be a big benefit when it’s completed. The likelihood of having a flooding event is definitely there. Steps we can take to mitigate and make it less of a disaster is a good thing. I’m glad we’ve been able to do that even if it takes more time.”
Last month, Pack also announced alongside the staff of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito an agreement that CSX will give the train depot to the town. “I’m very proud of that. There are still details to work out. Plus, we’re working hard for a pedestrian bridge.”
Water Projects
Pack also says that she remains focused on the town’s water projects.
“I’m proud that we have completed two water projects, which includes two new storage tanks and replacement of miles of water pipes, some that were more than one hundred years old.”
She says those steps have significantly reduced water loss in the town, but more needs to be done including replacing more water lines along Monroe Avenue.
“We’ve worked closely with our administrator and city council to consider multiple responsible options moving forward, and we will continue to do so until we can find a solution that is best for our citizens.”
Pack says public input will be an important part of that process, whatever shape it takes.
‘Ronceverte is unique’
Over the weekend, Pack took part in the Ronceverte Food Truck Festival in between chaperoning the middle school’s spring formal and hosting her son and his friends for prom activities. She says that kind of family-friendly town is the place people want to live these days.
“Roncevert is unique,” she says. “I don’t want it to be like any other place. We need to take advantage of what makes us unique. For people who want to settle down and raise a family or people traveling through town. We need to have a certain level of tourism to help our businesses grow and shed a light on how great Ronceverte is, but we have to really focus on the people and businesses that have been here forever to ensure their lives are being improved. So it’s not focusing on one or the other; it’s how to combine those things to make a better Ronceverte.”
She concedes that while there are no easy answers or quick fixes, community involvement is the key to the town’s development. “Be part of it. There’s more we can do together.”
Ronceverte residents head to the polls on June 3 to elect a a mayor and city council members. Pack will compete against David Withrow, Kim Erskine, and Shawn Honaker. RealWV will host the candidates for a forum on May 27 in downtown Ronceverte at 7pm. Stay tuned for additional mayoral candidate profiles and details on the forum.
