Goldsboro names new city manager
By Ty Johnson
Published in News on May 24, 2011 1:46 PM
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Scott Stevens
Goldsboro City Council announced Monday afternoon that the position of city manager, vacant since February, will be filled by Kinston City Manager Scott Stevens.
Stevens, 44, will take the position beginning Aug. 8 and will receive an annual salary of $150,000. Interim City Manager Tasha Logan will continue to serve as city manager in the meantime.
Mayor Al King said Stevens impressed the council both with his experience and his interviewing skills.
"Based on the interview process and his background, he appeared to be the man for us," he said. "I knew a little bit about him beforehand, and he came out on top."
And as far as his proximity to Wayne County, King said his familiarity with Goldsboro would be a positive.
"It's a familiar community," Stevens said of Goldsboro. "It's a little larger and a little bit better pay, but I've known Goldsboro. That just made it very appealing."
His family also weighed into the decision, he said. His wife, Robin, is from Pikeville and attended Charles B. Aycock High School and her parents still live in northern Wayne County.
He also said that with his children, Jonathan, 13, and Daniel, 10, approaching high school age, the time for a move had to be now.
"It made it an easy transition for them," he said.
Stevens, who grew up in Cary, has lived in Kinston since 1992 and began his career in local government in January 1998 as the city engineer. He accepted the position of director of public services in May 2002, but never thought he wanted to be a city manager.
When he was appointed to the position in March 2007, he wasn't sure what to expect, but now sees it as a step in the right direction.
"It has been a very fulfilling and rewarding role, and I really have enjoyed the job a lot."
A former Navy reservist, Stevens said one aspect of Goldsboro that made it unique is its relationship with the military through Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
"That's a bonus," he said. "It's definitely an attraction for me and I have a lot of respect for those in the military, so I'm excited about being in a community that's close to the military."
But despite the opportunity, he still expressed some sadness about heading down U.S. 70 West and leaving the city he has called home.
"I'm really excited to come to Goldsboro but a little sad about leaving behind the community I've been a part of for 20 years," he said.
He said he has followed Goldsboro news in recent weeks and has an idea of what its citizens want, although he said he has not met with many city employees.
"My understanding is that they're a really good group of people," he said. "And from the things I know of the community, it has a lot going for it."
He noted that many of the issues pressing municipalities in Eastern North Carolina are similar, and that keeping a balanced budget, encouraging downtown development and securing roadways were concerns he addressed in Kinston that he foresaw handling in Goldsboro.
"For me, it really is trying to improve the quality of life, and the city plays a role in that," he said, noting that cooperation between area businesses, the Air Force base and the city would improve the overall lives of citizens.
Stevens also said he is excited to work with a city council he described as "very energetic" and developing projects with the council to enhance and enrich the city's infrastructure, though he noted there would be limits due to budget constraints.
"Money is not endless and we can likely fund projects that make sense but only so many at one time," he said.
He graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and received a master's degree in public administration from East Carolina University.