KANNAPOLIS — Kannapolis City Manager Mike Legg has promoted Tina Cline to the position of assistant city manager. Cline has been employed with the city of Kannapolis since 1995 primarily in the role as director of human resources. She has also previously held the role of risk manager. Prior to joining Kannapolis, she worked for Cabarrus County in their human resources department.

In her new role, Cline will oversee the operations for the customer service, human resources, finance, general services and information technology departments.

“Tina’s institutional knowledge and long-term experience in her field made her the ideal candidate for her new responsibilities,” Legg said. “The departments she is now responsible for serve both our employees and residents in unique ways and her skillset more than qualifies her to aid these departments as they adapt and expand with the growth of our city.”

Cline is a native of Rowan County and is a graduate of Pfeiffer University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She also graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Government City and County Municipal Administration program.

She is active in a number of non-profit and professional human resources organizations including serving in many leadership positions. Most recently she was the president of the North Carolina Chapter of Public Sector Human Resources Association, and as president, secretary and a board member of International Public Management Association N.C. Chapter and vice president and president of the Cabarrus Personnel Association. As a member of Grace Lutheran Church, she has served as a church council member, secretary, social ministry chair and on the personnel advisory committee. She has also volunteered with Rowan Helping Ministries, the United Way, the American Red Cross as a board member and Special Olympics as a host town coordinator.

Cline is married to Tony and has three children and a grandchild.

Heather James has been promoted from assistant human resources director to the position of director of human resources.

“Heather is an immensely talented local government professional with a wide range of talents and abilities which will prove invaluable for our city as we encounter the continuing positive changes of a growing workforce,” Legg said. “She is a great addition to our leadership team.”

James has over 13 years of local government experience in human resources. Her experience includes working for the North Carolina League of Municipalities (NCLM) where she consulted with 540 municipalities across the state on variety of human resources related inquiries. Prior to working for NCLM, she worked for the town of Davidson as their first human resources director. Her local government career began with the town of Oak Ridge as town clerk.

She holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a post-baccalaureate certificate in urban and economic development from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a master’s in public administration from Appalachian State University. She is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SCP), IPMA-HR Senior Certified Professional (SCP), and an IIMC Master Municipal Clerk (MMC). She is also a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Government City and County Municipal Administration program. She is active member of the YMCA and volunteers with the Local Government Federal Credit Union Advisory Group.

She is married to Matthew, and they have one daughter.