It’s been a tumultuous year in Asheville. After a police video went public of a police beating of a man accused of jaywalking, the waves that rippled through the city resulted in the removal of City Manager Gary Jackson, voted on in a unanimous decision by City Council in March.

Since then, the hunt for a city leader has been on. And last Wednesday, Council voted unanimously to hire Debra Campbell, the current Assistant City Manager in Charlotte, N.C. as Asheville’s City Manager. Campbell, who has 30+ years of experience in urban planning, transit planning, neighborhood revitalization + more, was also a finalist in Greenville, S.C.’s City Manager search. Born and raised in Chattanooga, she will be the City’s first African-American City Manager and the first woman to hold the position on a permanent basis (rather than as an Interim City Manager).

Her goals for Asheville? Debra noted that she wants to “build on the positive momentum underway in this great city, and to address issues related to public safety and trust, social and economic disparity, and environmental stewardship,” during her speech after the City Council vote.

The city received 70 applications for the position, and that number was narrowed down with the help of Springsted Waters, an outside recruitment firm hired by City Council. But before we dig into the timeline and the new City Manager, let’s look at the basics.

Asheville’s leadership comes from a Council-Manager government, which means that in the hierarchy of city government, the City Manager and Council are at the top (under the voters). City Council is made up of the Mayor (Esther Manheimer, who has held the office since 2013) and six council members who are elected for four-year terms. City Council can appoint or remove the City Manager, who is hired to carry out the city’s policies, appoint heads of city departments and oversee around 1,000 city employees, prepare the city’s yearly budget of over $180 million, and ensure that policies and services are fair for all citizens.

Learn all about the City’s process of hiring the new manager – and meet her yourself – here.⬇️

February 2018: The police body-cam video showing Asheville Police Department officer Christopher Hickman’s beating of Johnnie Rush from August 2017 is leaked to the Asheville Citizen-Times. A police investigation begun in January results in the firing + indictment (in July) of Officer Hickman. City officials, including the APD, receive criticism for not addressing the beating sooner.

March 2018: City Manager Gary Jackson, who served in the position for 13 years and was planning to retire at the end of 2018, is fired by City Council, in part as a response to criticism of the APD’s actions in the Johnnie Rush case. Cathy Ball is named interim City Manager.

July 2018: The City hires recruitment firm Springsted Waters to help with recruitment + hiring after gathering feedback from citizens on the ideal qualities of a City Manager.

September 2018: Council narrows the 70 applicants for the position to 6.

October 2018: City Council makes a decision on who they want to hire as City Manager rather than interviewing the finalists (the original plan). On Oct. 15, they release a statement saying that they have chosen a candidate for the job with support from “community stakeholders, City Council and City leadership team,” according to Mayor Esther Manheimer. The Mayor also notes that they have expedited the process due to competition from other cities.

October 17, 2018: Council unanimously votes to name Debra Campbell the new City Manager. Her term will officially begin on Dec. 3.

What does the City Manager do?

Works with City Council and other elected officials to develop plans and policies
Recommends new programs and provides information on details like cost, impact + scope

Appoints, coordinates + supervises the work of other city department heads
Prepares, presents + implements the city’s annual budget
Ensures that laws + policies are being enforced equitably across the city
Works to ensure good customer service
Directly oversees city positions + departments, including the Assistant City Manager, the Interim Assistant City Manager, the Department of Finance, the Police + Fire Departments, the Department of Communication and Public Engagement, and the Department of Equity + Inclusion.

Meet Debra Campbell

Here’s a rundown of Asheville’s new City Manager:

Since 1988, she’s been employed by the city of Charlotte, most recently as the Assistant City Manager (since 2014). From 2004-14, she served as Charlotte’s Planning Director. Before that, she worked in similar fields in Chattanooga, T.N. (her hometown).
During her time working in Charlotte, she’s been involved in
- Developing the Housing Charlotte Framework (a 10-year strategy for increasing affordable housing in the city)
- Funding + developing a rapid transit system with 19.3 miles of light rail
- Leading an interdepartmental group to address safety, trust, accountability, jobs + affordable housing
- Expanding conversations around diversity + equity with city employees
In 2007, Governing magazine named her Public Official of the Year.
She has a B.S. in Urban Planning from Middle Tennessee University, with a M.A. in Public Administration from the same institution.
She’ll receive an annual salary of $220,000 for the position (as well as benefits, a car allowance + relocation fees).

When she accepted the job, Debra expressed her enthusiasm about her new role in the city, saying, “I am truly blessed, honored and excited to have been selected amongst an extremely qualified pool of applicants to be the next City Manager of Asheville.”

She especially recognized the people that make our community the vibrant place it is: “I have visited this city on numerous occasions and marveled not only at its natural beauty but also at the spirit of community activism that is exhibited uniquely by people in Asheville.”

I’ve been following developments in the Asheville City Manager search closely since Gary Jackson was fired, and I’m excited to welcome Debra Campbell to our city as the first woman and the first African-American to hold this position permanently.

As a member of the city’s Public Art + Cultural Commission, I know firsthand how important the work that City Council and the City Manager do in ensuring that Asheville is the best place possible for all of its citizens. All of us at AVLtoday extend a warm welcome to Debra!

Have you been keeping up with the City Manager search? Let us know your thoughts about our new City Manager by replying here, or by telling us over on Facebook or Instagram.

– Ali