Connect
Be A
Culpeper Local
Be A Culpeper Local is the department’s small business outreach program, offering support for small businesses. The program also raises awareness on the community benefits of shopping locally.
Work
In Culpeper
Work in Culpeper (WinC) offers a comprehensive workforce development program for Culpeper County’s employers to utilize. WinC also includes the community’s job board, free for businesses to post.
Choose
Culpeper Farms
Choose Culpeper Farms highlights farms, their products, and services to the community and connects residents to agriculture organizations. The program also offers support to our ag operations.
Documents
Meet the Team
Bryan Rothamel, CEcD
Economic Development Director
Bryan Rothamel, CEcD, joined Culpeper County in September 2021 and it has been a whirlwind ever since. As the county’s Economic Development Director, Bryan sets vision for the entire department and leads the charge on business attraction and expansion. Under his leadership, Culpeper’s economic development efforts have earned international recognition for creativity, innovation, and big results.
In 2026, the department took home gold for Economic Development Organization of the Year from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Culpeper was also nominated twice for IEDC’s coveted “Best in Show” award: once for Choose Culpeper Farms and again for the Sips of Culpeper beverage exploration tour. Altogether, the department has collected five gold, four silver, and four bronze IEDC awards in just three years. At the state level, Work in Culpeper ranked second in the Virginia Economic Developers Association’s 2024 Top Projects. Bryan has twice led the region in job growth—continuing a streak he started even before arriving in Culpeper.
Bryan’s personal recognitions include being named to the inaugural Virginia Business Forty Under 40 in 2025 and selected as VEDA’s Rising Star in 2022. He earned his Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) credential in 2024 and is a proud graduate of both the OU Economic Development Institute (2022) and High Point University (2009).
Bryan has served on boards throughout the region, including the Virginia Economic Developers Association, Foundation First, and Virginia Career Works–Piedmont Region. He lives in Central Virginia with his wife and two daughters, who keep him grounded, inspired, and regularly outnumbered.
Contact Bryan:
brothamel@culpepercounty.gov
(540) 229-7893
Winona Pritts
Assistant Economic Development Director
Winona Pritts joined the Culpeper County Department of Economic Development in August 2020. She oversees Be A Culpeper Local and Choose Culpeper Farms, including the Culpeper Harvest Day Farm Tour. In 2024 she was named the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professional of the Year.
Winona started Be A Culpeper Local Week, an annual event in August celebrating small businesses. She launched Choose Culpeper Farms in 2023 to bring a year-round focus to agricultural. She expanded Choose Culpeper Farms in 2024 with Sips of Culpeper, a beverage exploration trail. She serves on Culpeper’s Career Partners Board. She lives in Culpeper County with her husband and two sons.
Contact Winona:
wpritts@culpepercounty.gov
(540) 423-4432