Council hires new town administrator with experience, enthusiasm to move vision forward as growth-related issues continue to be a part of our community’s future
The process took longer than expected, but the Harrisburg Town Council, after an exhaustive search, named a new town administrator to fill the post last occupied by long-time public servant Carl Parmer.
With the help of the Centralina Council of Governments, the board whittled down the candidate pool, which included current council member Phil Cowherd, to two before naming the final candidate Monday.
Once all the resumes were reviewed and the interviews complete, Joel Davis rose to the top of the list.
Davis set himself apart from the crowd, according to the council, with his experience in both small towns and growing markets, having served most recently as the assistant town manager in North Myrtle Beach.
Before his time in South Carolina, Davis spent much of his 20-year career in various positions around North Carolina, including a stint in Spring Lake, a community that very much resembles Harrisburg, and faces many of the same challenges moving forward. Davis brings a balance that is much needed in the growing Harrisburg market, with an understanding of small town government and experiences dealing with growth-related issues.
With the decision now made, the council can close this chapter and begin moving forward with the business of the town, a job which will no doubt include a great deal of the skills and characteristic that made Davis the top candidate for the job.
The new administrator won’t have to wait long to put his experience to work. The town is scheduled to discuss tangible ways to implement the recently-adopted vision statement at its regular monthly meeting Monday, which also happens to be Davis’ first official day on the job.
We at Harrisburg Horizons welcome Davis and we look forward to working with him in the future as he comes to know the town and begins his work with the mayor and council to shape the future of our town.
Jonathan E. Coleman
Editor