City Council

Mayor Neal Osborne

First elected to the city council in 2018 and reelected in 2022, Neal Osborne was named Mayor on January 2, 2023, after previous stints as both vice mayor and mayor.

Neal is a native of Bristol and attended John S. Battle High School and Virginia Highlands Community College. He has a background in sales and education and currently works for a financial institution in their fraud investigation department.

In his spare time, Neal plays the guitar. He has one young daughter, Scarlett.

Current Committee appointments: Chamber of Commerce, Discover Bristol, Finance, District Three Government Cooperative, and Rhythm and Roots.

Vice Mayor Becky Nave

Becky Nave was appointed to the City Council on July 6, 2021. A native of Bristol, she is a graduate of Virginia High School and a graduate of King University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Nave serves as Senior Destination Development Specialist for the Virginia Tourism Corporation, a state agency charged with marketing the Commonwealth as a premier travel destination and film location. Previously, she was employed by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, People Incorporated, and the Bristol Chamber of Commerce. She is a graduate of Lead Virginia Class of 2020 and Lead Bristol Class of 2009. Becky and her husband, Jimmy, have three children, Brandon, Kelsey, and Baylee.

Council Member Anthony Farnum

Anthony Farnum has served on the City Council since 2018. He was appointed to fill a vacant seat in November 2018 and then elected to a full four-year term in May 2020. He has served as Mayor of Bristol Virginia from July 2021 - December 2022. He also served as Vice Mayor from July 2020 - July 2021. Born and raised in Bristol, Virginia, Farnum earned a bachelor's degree from East Tennessee State University majoring in Public Health Administration with a minor in Economics. Anthony has had a lifelong passion for real estate. He works as a licensed real estate broker, as well as a landlord and property manager. In his spare time, he enjoys sports and spending time with his family. Before joining the city council, Anthony served on the Bristol, Virginia Planning Commission. Anthony is married to his wife Amanda and they have two children; Juliette and James.

Current Committee appointments: Believe In Bristol, Appalachian Juvenile Commission, BVU Board, and Transportation Safety Commission. 

Council Member Jake Holmes

Jake Holmes was elected to City Council in November of 2022.  He has served as Legislative Director for Deputy Majority Leader Israel O’Quinn since 2012 and is a native of Southwest Virginia.  He serves on the board of Communities in Schools of the Appalachian Highlands, and he is the recipient of the 2020 Business Journal of the Tri-Cities 40 under 40 Award. In his spare time, he enjoys gardening and going to concerts with his wife, Hannah.

Council Member Michael Pollard

Michael Pollard was elected to the City Council in November 2022 but has attended the City Council meetings since 2011. He served on the Planning Commission from 2015-2021, for a maximum of two full terms. He came to Bristol in 2005 right after getting his Bachelor of Computer Information Systems and a minor in Management, when he started working for Universal Fiber Systems, where he is currently an Advanced Systems Analyst.

 Michael likes helping people, and he can regularly be found discussing local issues on social media. He is the Secretary for the Bristol Virginia Republican Committee. He enjoys topics that combine details and creativity, including technology, science fiction, and food, and he enjoys drama varying from animation to opera – as long as the dialog is understandable and in English. He and his wife Amanda attend and help in several capacities with Community Baptist Church.

 Current Committee appointments: Bristol Public Library Board of Trustees, Bristol Public Library Finance Committee, Bristol Train Station Foundation, New River/Mount Rogers Planning District Transportation Rural Technical Committee, and New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Area Consortium Board.