N.D. “Rocky”Holcomb was born in Bluefield, West Virginia to a Methodist minister and a home nurse. At birth, he had a collapsed lung and was placed on life support. His parents were told to gather the family and start the grieving process. He wasn’t improving, but he wasn’t getting worse so he was removed from life support.
His father said, “He had a Rocky way to go” so from then on, he was known as Rocky Holcomb.
Rocky has a fighting spirit and a servant’s heart.
Rocky served eight years in the Marine Corps as an infantryman (three years of active service and five years as an inactive reservist). He then joined the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office, where today he serves as Chief Deputy. During his career at the Sheriff’s Office, Holcomb has served as commander of the Emergency Response Team and championed efforts to improve mental health treatment for inmates, including by creating the Mental Health Housing Unit and a gardening therapy program, Operation Green Thumb.
Rocky implemented the K9 Unit and oversaw operations for the K9 program. As captain of the Classification Division, Holcomb was instrumental in the creation of the Reentry and Veterans programs. The Reentry Program is one of the most successful in Virginia.
Rocky earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Management from Regent University and graduated from the West Point Leadership Course.
In 2017, he was elected to represent the 85th District in the Virginia House of Delegates becoming the first ever full-time law enforcement officer to be elected to the oldest legislative body in the western hemisphere. He successfully championed bills to improve mental health treatment for jail inmates (HB2184), arming School Security officers (HB1392), and increasing access and insurance coverage of contraception (HB2267).
Council Member N. D. “Rocky” Holcomb was appointed by the City Council on August 12, 2021, to fill the unexpired term for the Kempsville district seat vacated by Council Member Jessica Abbott.
Council Member Holcomb serves as the City Council liaison to the Atlantic Park Community Development Authority, Clean Community Commission, Community Services Board, Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization and Urban Agriculture Advisory Committee.