Our Leadership
Learn more about our leadership
Sean Hughes
Chairman
Hello My name is Sean Hughes.
I'm a lifelong Virginian, US Army veteran, and dedicated public servant with over 25 years in public safety. Born and raised in Virginia Beach, I earned degrees from Tidewater Community College and Old Dominion University, including my MPA, and I'm currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Cyber Intelligence from JMU .
As a conservative, I stand for limited government, individual liberty, Second Amendment rights, fiscal responsibility, traditional family values, and self-reliant communities. My wife and I are raising our three kids here in Orange County on the same principles of hard work, responsibility, and faith that guide me.
I'm committed to Orange County through volunteer leadership with the Boy Scouts of America (mentoring youth in character and self-reliance) and service on the Orange County Youth Commission (supporting programs for responsible young lives).
In my free time, I enjoy fishing, shooting sports, and family camping—reminders of why we defend our freedoms.
I'm honored to serve as Chairman and work with fellow Republicans to promote prosperity, protect constitutional rights, and secure Virginia's future for our kids and grandkids.
Bill Donohue
Vice Chair
Bill earned a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Rochester in 1981, completed GE’s Chemical Management Program in 1983, and later received a senior general management certificate from the University of Hartford in 1992. He is also a Virginia Tech–certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Over a 45-year career, Bill held leadership roles in manufacturing, defense, and consulting before retiring in 2026. Along the way, he stayed active in service and industry leadership, serving on boards for Old Dominion University’s Batten College of Engineering, the American Small Manufacturers Coalition, the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing, and Danville Utilities, where he was chair for 10 of 15 years. He is also a founder and board member of the Shipbuilding Cobotic Alliance, which supports the use of robotics in the naval supply chain.
Bill and his wife, Pam, have been together since they met in high school in Hudson Falls, New York, a small town in the Adirondack foothills. They have three adult children—Erin, Sara, and Neal—and Bill especially enjoys spending time with his three grandchildren. In his free time, he likes golfing, gardening, boating, art, golden doodles, and keeping up with politics. In 2026, Bill was named Vice Chair of the Orange County Republican Committee. His commitment to service has always been important to him, and while living in Spartanburg and Danville, he took part in 37 Habitat for Humanity home builds through his church. He is also a devoted fan of Virginia Tech and Kansas City Chiefs football. Bill and Pam now live in Lake of the Woods in Locust Grove, Virginia, after spending 22 years in Danville.
Patricia Wyvill
Treasurer
Bio for Patricia Wyvill
I was born and raised in New Jersey where I lived in the country and
learned to appreciate and love the incredible world that God has given us.
Before retiring and moving to Orange County, I was a licensed
property/casualty agent and the personnel/accounting/office manager for our agency until we sold the business in 2018. In addition, I am an artist and interior designer.
Before retiring, our time was spent working, visiting family, traveling across the country, and attending trapshooting tournaments. We never really got involved in politics until we moved to Orange. The timing could not have been better.
I decided to volunteer as an Election Officer in November of 2020, and the rest is history. I became treasurer for the OCRC in March of 2024. And since 2020, I have been a poll watcher and poll worker at Lightfoot. We attend Abundant Life Christian Fellowship in Orange and enjoy all the other activities that Orange and the surrounding area have to offer.
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Mark O'Connel
Secretary
Mark was recently named Secretary of the Orange County Republican Committee after his wife, Diana, resigned to join the Board of Electors. The couple got married in 2015 and reside in Somerset of Orange County.
Originally from Salem, Virginia, Mark graduated from Fork Union Military
Academy in 1976. In 1979, he joined the army and served for four years.
Afterwards he attended college at the University of Mary Washington (Mary Washington College at the time) where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in History. He moved to Central Virginia in 1988 and has lived in the area ever since. He is the father of three children, two daughters and a son. In 2015, Mark retired from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Community Corrections after working twenty-five years as an Adult Probation and Parole Officer, chiefly in the Orange and Greene County Circuit Courts. In 2020, he returned to work in this capacity on a part-time basis. In addition to that vocation, he has worked in sports journalism since 1998 including freelance sports writing for several different newspapers, and broadcasting for the Culpeper Media Network during both football and lacrosse seasons.
He has also authored four books including Criminal Minds in Real Time, Justice Denied, The Team the Titans Remember: the 1971 Andrew Lewis High School Football Team, the Final Link to a Lasting Legacy, and The Spartan Succession, Volume 1, The Genesis (1972-1985).
His hobbies include walking the trails at Montpelier, playing tennis, motorcycling, and volunteering to help people in need. He is a deacon at Orange Baptist Church.