SALISBURY — Carrboro Town Manager Richard J. White III has been selected as the first deputy city manager of Salisbury by City Manager Jim Greene.

White’s first day with Salisbury is Monday, Nov. 6 when he will take on the redesigned position which has increased responsibility and leadership. The position is, according to a city spokesperson, a reclassification from the assistant city manager role previously held by Zack Kyle. The new title comes with increased responsibility, and White was selected following a national search.

White has more than 25 years of varied local government experience, including stints as assistant city manager in Asheville, and town manager in Elon. He also held positions with the city of Charlotte and the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County in Athens, Ga.

“We recruited nationally for this position and prioritized a leader who is experienced, creative and passionate and who has a proven ability to work collaboratively with our departments, other organizations and community,” said Greene. “Richard is the perfect fit for Salisbury’s deputy city manager… Richard has a record of generating innovative ideas and solutions. His experience leading growing communities will greatly benefit Salisbury.”

Greene described White as an energetic leader “with a heart for public service.”

White said from his first internship with Charlotte in 1997, he has known local government was where he was meant to be.

“Salisbury really speaks to my servant leadership because I have seen first-hand the value this municipality puts on its residents, visitors, employees and business organizations,” White said Thursday. “This customer-first approach is what makes a strong and engaged community. While I’m deeply grateful for my time with the Town of Carrboro, I’m excited to help lead Salisbury to plan for and manage growth, economic and community development, infrastructure and services, and develop and implement the city’s first strategic plan and council priority projects.”

Some of White’s key successes throughout his career are transitioning Elon’s fire service from volunteer to town-managed, with an improved ISO rating; initiating and obtaining Elon’s North Carolina Main Street designation; managing Athens-Clarke County’s $14 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds; leading the Asheville city staff COVID-19 Response Team; and completing the $41 million financing of Carrboro’s 203 Project, a development which will house the recreation, parks and cultural resources offices, Orange County Southern Branch Library and Skills Development Center, Teen Center and WCOM Radio.

As Salisbury’s first deputy city manager, White will work closely with the mayor and city council, residents and city departments on community priorities. He will provide direction and leadership to the planning and neighborhoods, parks and recreation, public works, transit, transportation and land and development services departments.

White was a Morehead-Cain Scholar and N.C. Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a master’s degree in public administration from North Carolina State University, where he was a Housing and Urban Development Fellow. He is a member of the International and North Carolina City/County Management Associations and previously served on the boards of directors of the Alamance Chamber of Commerce and Asheville City Schools Foundation. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper appointed White to the N.C. Code Officials Qualification Board, where he served as the policy and procedures chair.