Public Executive Leadership Academy

 

PELA ALUMNI

Seventy-four public officials have graduated from the Public Executive Leadership Academy (PELA) since it was created in 2005. To learn more about the impressive outcomes for these participants in previous PELA sessions, click here (PDF). To see images from past sessions of PELA, click here.

Alumni of the program have shared these comments about their experience:

"The PELA Program addresses the 'whole person,' with the perfect balance of professional development and personal growth opportunities."

Grant Goings, City Manager, City of Wilson

"Our PELA class bonded as a group. I felt like by the end of class we had forged lifelong friendships. We all know that if anyone needs help on any issue that comes up, that person has 24 other friends they can call for advice.”

Jack Horton, County Manager, Caldwell County

“There are plenty of opportunities to learn best management practices and network with colleagues, but PELA provided a unique opportunity to concentrate on my desire to become a better leader. There’s not another program offered in North Carolina that provides this level of in-depth self examination and the tools to help managers become effective public leaders.”

David Smitherman, County Manager, Lee County

 

Class of 2009

Skip Auld

Director

Durham County Library

Mark Biberdorf

Manager

Town of Fletcher

John Cater

City Manager

City of King

 

Todd Clark

City Manager

City of Newton

Angela Cole

Deputy County Manager

Onslow County

Cathy Davison

Town Administrator

Town of Murfreesboro

 

Benjamin Durant

CFO

City of Asheville

Thurman Hardison

Director of Parks

& Recreation

City of New Bern

Butch Kisiah

Director Parks

& Recreation

Town of Chapel Hill

 

Jeff Ledford

Chief of Police

Shelby Police Department

Adrian Miller

Senior Planner

City of Belmont

Ken Noland

Manager

Town of Wilkesboro

 

Michael Peoples

Town Manager

Town of Cramerton

Kaye Reynolds

Economic Development/ Communications

Director

City of Lenoir

 

Lynn Smyth

Assistant City Manager

City of Statesville

Danna Stansbury

Director of Admin

& Marketing

Land-of-Sky

Regional Council

 

Ann Wall

Director of Planning and Community Development

City of Rocky Mount

Martha Wheelock

Assistant City Manager

City of Winston Salem

Greg Zephir

Town Manager

Town of Troy

 

   

 

 

Class of 2008

Lane Bailey

Manager

City of Lenoir

Eddie Barnes

Planning Director

Wilkes County

Renee Boyette

Member Services Director

Triangle J Council of Governments

 

June Brooks

Planning Director

City of Elizabeth City

John Connet

City Manager

City of Clinton

Larry Davis

Budget and Evaluation Director

City of Greensboro

 

Wendell Davis

Deputy County Manager

Durham County

Mike Downs

Deputy County Manager

Cabarrus County

Tara Duckworth

Superintendent of Recreation & Downtown

City of Wilmington

 

Scott Fogleman

Budget Director

Town of Cary                        

Steve Fraher

Parks & Recreation Director

Town of Davidson

Victoria Garland

Key Business Executive

City of Charlotte

 

Zeb Hanner

Assistant County Manager

Davidson County Government

Scott Hildebran

Town Manager

Town of Blowing Rock

 

Tim Holloman

Town Manager

Town of Columbus

D.J. Jackson

Assistant City Manager

City of Mount Holly

 

Donald Long

Director of Solid Waste

City of Durham

Flo Miller

Deputy Town Manager

Town of Chapel Hill

Lori Nurse

Finance Director

City of Archdale

 

Ted Phillips

Finance Director

City of Shelby

Ron Satterfield

Planning Manager

City of Wilmington

Ben Shivar

Assistant Town Manager

Town of Cary

 

Stephanie Sudano

Director of Engineering

Town of Holly Springs

Greg Turner

Assistant City Manager

City of Winston-Salem

Dudley Watts

County Manager

Forsyth County

Richard Woodcock

Deputy Director-Neighborhood Development

City of Charlotte

 

 

Class of 2007

David Bone

Town Manager

Town of Wendell

 

Alan Carson

Assistant City Manager

City of Lexington

Bill Coleman

Town Manager

Town of Cary

Chris Coudriet

Assistant County Manager

New Hanover County

 

Rodney Dickerson

Assistant City Manager

City of Garner

Pam Dubois

Deputy County Manager

Cabarrus County

Jonathan Feldman

Director, IT Services

City of Asheville

Tara Fikes

Housing & Community

Development Director

Orange County

 

Greg Grayson

Fire & Rescue Chief

City of Asheville

Jon Hannan

Deputy Fire Chief

City of Charlotte

Jeffrey Hatling

Community Development

Director

Town of Kernersville

 

Rick Howell

City Manager

City of Shelby

Ann Jones

Budget & Evaluation Director

City of Winston-Salem

 

Dan Jones

Fire Chief

City of Chapel Hill

Richard King

Director of Public Services

City of Wilmington

Calvin McDougal

CEO, Mecklenburg County

ABC Board

 

Wilmer Melton

Director of Public Works

City of Kannapolis

Lance Metzler

County Manager

Montgomery County

Lloyd Payne

Town Manager

Town of Elkin

Danny Pleasant

Deputy Transportation

Director

City of Charlotte

 

Ramon Rojano

Director

Wake County Human

Services

Scott Sauer

County Manager

Sampson County

 

Andrea Surratt

Assistant City Manager

City of Hickory

Melanie Wilson

Planning Director

Wake County

     

Class of 2006

   
     

Rebecca Bentley

Town Manager

Town of Hudson

 

Dawn Blobaum

Assistant Town Manager

Town of Davidson

Sean Brandon

Assistant

City of Savannah, GA

Ben Brown

Assistant City Manager

City of Greensboro

 

Mark Combs

Director of Public Works

City of Asheville

David Cotton

County Manager

Haywood County

Darren Currie

Town Manager

Town of Lake Waccamaw

 

Eric Davis

City Manager

City of Mount Holly

Greg Ferguson

Town Manager

Town of Hundersville

Gwen Harvey

Assistant County Manager

Orange County

 

Susan Holder

Assistant County Manager

Sampson County

Robert Hyatt

County Manager

Davidson County

Matt Livingston

Town Manager

City of Rolesville

 

Kerry McDuffie

Town Administrator

Town of Fremont

Sam Misenheimer

RTI International

Wanda Page

Assistant City Manager

City of Durham

 

Derwick Paige

Assistant City Manager

City of Winston-Salem

Kay Plyler

Assistant Town Manager

Town of Matthews

John Rukavina

Director of Public Safety

Wake County Government

 

Frank Rush

Town Manager

Town of Emerald Isle

Steve Smith

Town Manager

Town of Yanceyville

Michael Talbert

 

John Tanner  

Harry Tyson

Chief of Police

City of Wilson

 

Bill Zell

Town Manager

Town of Aberdeen

 

     

Class of 2005

   
     

Patrick Baker

City Manager

City of Durham

 

Larry Bergman

Director of IT

City of Wilmington

Leamon Brice

Town Manager

Town of Davidson

Irby Brinson

Parks & Recreation Director

City of Asheville

Debra Campbell

Planning Director

Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Planning Commission

 

Renee Dickson

Assistant County Manager

Chatham County

Lee Garrity

City Manager

City of Winston-Salem

 

Deron Geouque

Assistant County Manager

Watauga County

Grant Goings

City Manager

City of Wilson

Robert Hites

City Manager

City of Statesville

 

Jack Horton

County Manager

Caldwell County

Mitchell Johnson

Deputy City Manager

City of Greensboro

Katie Kalb

Director of Public Works

City of Durham

 

John Kuhls

Human Resources Director

Wake County

Al Leonard

Town Manager

Town of Tabor City

Paul Sabiston

Town Administrator

Town of Shallotte

 

Eddie Smith

Town Manager

City of Kannapolis

Lisa Smith

Chief Financial Officer

City of Fayetteville

David Smitherman

County Manager

Lee County

 

Doug Spell

Katrina Tatum

Interim Town Manager

Town of Maxton

David Treme

City Manager

City of Salisbury

 

Michael Uskiewicz

City Manager

City of Alpena, MI

Rod Visser

Assistant County Manager

Orange County

Curt Walton

City Manager

City of Charlotte