Bowling Green Town Manager India Adams-Jacobs was recently recognized as one of the nation’s 250 Public Service Champions by the Local Gov 250 initiative and the National Academy of Public Administration.
The 250 Public Service Champions award was created to recognize public servants across the country who made a lasting impact in their communities. Local Gov 250 is a nationwide effort to celebrate the role of individuals serving at all levels of government as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary on July 4.
Adams-Jacobs is one of six recipients to be named from Virginia in 2026. She was born and raised in Bowling Green and was appointed to the town manager position in 2024.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to be recognized among the Local Gov 250 Champions celebrating America’s 250th anniversary,” Adams-Jacobs said. “This recognition reminds me why I chose this profession and why I came home: because local government matters, because professional public administration makes democracy work every day, and because communities like Bowling Green — with deep history, strong values, and extraordinary residents — deserve leaders who show up, work hard, and deliver results.”
Adams-Jacobs has over a decade of local government experience. Before she was hired in Bowling Green, she served as town manager of Colonial Beach and was also assistant manager for the City of Petersburg.
She recently received the Credentialed Manager designation from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).
“This recognition is a testament to India’s dedication to the Town of Bowling Green community and its larger, positive impact on Caroline County,” Bowling Green Councilman David Storke said.
“Two years ago, she returned home to Bowling Green, facing an infrastructure crisis and years of organizational instability. What we’ve accomplished since — completing years of overdue audits and establishing strategic planning processes — demonstrates what’s possible when committed local leadership, professional management, and community partnership align.”
Adams-Jacobs gradated from George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree in public administration. In 2014, she earned a master’s in public administration and a graduate certificate in local government management from Virginia Tech’s Center for Public Administration and Policy in 2015. Adams-Jacobs will assume the duties of president of the Virginia Local Government Management Association later this year.
