Goldsboro hires human resources director
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on August 2, 2017 5:50 AM
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A human resources professional with 22 years of experience, including eight in Goldsboro, has been hired as human resources director for the city of Goldsboro.
Bernadette Carter-Dove, a Wayne County resident, started in her post Tuesday after working the past five years as the director of human resources at Johnston Community College.
Some of her previous experience includes working for the city of Goldsboro, from 1992 through 2000, as a human resources analyst and six months as interim director.
"I'm excited to be back home," she said. "I feel like I've come back home. I feel like I am familiar to some of the workforce. It's a good feeling."
Carter-Dove was the city's top pick from a pool of 90 candidates, which was shortlisted to 10, with five being interviewed for the post, said Scott Stevens, city manager.
Her experience and education, as well as her fit in the city leadership role, all played a role in the selection, Stevens said.
"I'm excited to have her," Stevens said. "The education and the experience, that all matters because you want somebody who can do the job.
"The local connection was a plus. Her work experience with Goldsboro was a plus, but she felt like a good fit."
Carter-Dove succeeds Faye Caviness, the city's human resources director of 16 years until late January. Caviness resigned after accepting a job as a human resources business partner with the city of Raleigh.
In her new role, Carter-Dove plans to review city job descriptions to determine if revisions are necessary. She'll also consider the possibility of automating employee time and leave records and is currently reviewing applications for a human resources safety officer.
"I don't want to come in and make any changes," she said. "I just want to come in and observe and see where we are. I want to take the lead from the HR team and any suggestions or recommendations they may have, but I don't want to come in and make any major changes."
Carter-Dove, a native of Burlington, graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology from Elon University, in 1985, and a master's of public administration from N.C. Central University, in 1991.
Her career includes working as deputy town clerk and zoning administrator, from 1990 to 1992, for the town of Elon. After marrying a Wayne County native, she moved to the area and worked for the city of Goldsboro, first as a human resources analyst and later as interim human resources director.
In 2003, after taking several years to raise her children, she worked as the director of human resources for Greene County Health Care. She continued in a supervisory role after accepting the director of human resources post at Johnston Community College, in 2012.
She is glad to be working closer to home and once again for local government. She will earn a salary of $85,000.
"I've worked hard from the time I graduated from college and my tenure here and other places of employment," she said. "Home is really what you make it. So, what I put into it is what I'm going to get out of it, and that will be 110 percent."