The Salisbury Symphony board of directors approved the appointment of William M. “Bill” Bucher Jr. as executive director on Tuesday night.

Bucher has been interim director since May, when he agreed to handle administrative duties while the board conducted a search for a permanent executive director.

He replaces James Dane Harvey, who resigned in May.

Bucher is a 25-year resident of the Salisbury area. He was chief financial officer of Rowan-Salisbury Schools from 1992 to 2002. He then served as chief financial officer of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools until he retired in 2013.

Bucher has a bachelor of science degree in business from Wake Forest University and a master of arts degree in political science from Appalachian State University. In addition, he holds a certificate in city and county government from the N.C. Institute of Government in Chapel Hill.

Bucher and his wife, Gayla, have two grown daughters with families of their own in Austin, Texas, and Lanham, Maryland.

The Salisbury Symphony, led by conductor David Hagy, is one of only a few professional symphonies in North Carolina and is headquartered in the Gateway Building downtown.

More information, including concert schedules, can be found at www.salisburysymphony.org.