Manteo selects Asheville official as its new town manager

By on January 9, 2019

James Ayers (via LinkedIn)

The Manteo Board of Commissioners has selected James E. Ayers II as its new town manager.

Ayers, currently general services director for the city of Asheville, will join Manteo in mid-February, following formal appointment and approval of terms of employment in an open board meeting, Manteo officials said in a news release.

Kermit Skinner, the town’s manager of more than 30 years, retired at the end of the year.

“On behalf of our Town Board of Commissioners, I congratulate Mr. Ayers on his selection after a rigorous search process,” said Mayor Bobby Owens. “We considered many well qualified candidates and deliberated carefully, and we thank everyone who applied.

“James Ayers is an experienced and resourceful local government manager, and we were particularly impressed with his public and private sector experience in engineering, public works and budget development and administration.”

Ayers said he will work hard to earn the trust and confidence of the town’s residents, employees, and elected officials.

“I look forward to continuing the standards of excellence established and exhibited by my predecessor,” he said. “My wife Elise and I love Manteo and the Outer Banks, and we look forward to becoming active members of the Manteo community.”

Ayers currently serves as general services director and interim human resources director in Asheville. There he’s responsible for construction, operations and maintenance of city facilities, including the historic City Hall, along with vehicle fleet management, real estate acquisition and management and related functions.

He previously served as assistant town manager and director of engineering and public works for the town of Bluffton, S.C., a coastal community near Hilton Head. Prior to that Ayers worked in real estate development and construction management in South Carolina and elsewhere.

Manteo commissioners hired an outside consulting firm to conduct a nationwide search for Skinner’s replacement.

 

 

Comments

  • stevejo

    Congrats to Mr. Ayers but it’s sad that mangers don’t train and advocate for their employees to take the reigns when they retire.

    Why should employees remain loyal to the towns if they continue hire from outside?

    Thursday, Jan 10 @ 1:33 am

  • Stephen J. McKenna

    Kermit will be a tough act to follow. Good luck, Mr. Ayers.

    Friday, Jan 11 @ 2:17 pm

  • Nail Banger

    Here we go… let’s do it like we did in Asheville.

    Friday, Jan 11 @ 2:25 pm