Candidate Profile

Town Manager, Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina

About our Town

Do a Google search on Chapel Hill and its national stature pops up in every possible category.  It is simultaneously touted as one of the best places to live in the United States, one of the best places to raise a family, one of the best places to retire, and one of best college towns in the country.  Perhaps the Arts & Entertainment Network summed it up best: in 2004 it ranked Chapel Hill the #2 place in the United States to “have it all.”

These numerous accolades are an outgrowth of the progressive nature of the community and its emphasis on quality of place, respect for diversity, and the level of involvement of its citizens in community affairs.

Chapel Hill, home to the University of North Carolina and well known as the “Southern Part of Heaven” has earned its national honors through strong citizen involvement and a responsive and visionary town government.  Its 51,000 permanent residents enjoy a cultural and intellectual lifestyle unparalleled in a town of its size.  The 28,000 students at nationally renowned UNC-Chapel Hill infuse the town with a lively political, artistic, and intellectual energy. The winning traditions of UNC-Chapel Hill’s numerous athletic programs give the community many opportunities to come together for celebration in the heart of downtown.  Years of carefully managed town growth have resulted in an aesthetically pleasing and environmentally sensitive landscape.

The Town of Chapel Hill provides a full range of municipal services, including a fare free transit system funded by the Town of Chapel Hill, the Town of Carrboro, and UNC.  A non-profit Water and Sewer Authority provides its services to the community.  A rural buffer protects the watershed and provides a growth boundary.

City Government

The Town of Chapel Hill has a Council-Manager form of Government.  The Town Council is comprised of a Mayor and eight-member Council.  All Council Members serve four-year terms, while the Mayor serves a two-year term.  Four council seats are elected in each two-year cycle.  The at-large Mayoral and Council races are non-partisan.  The Town Council appoints the Town Manager and the City Attorney.  The Town Manager is the Chief Administrative Officer for the Town.

Chapel Hill’s current general fund budget is approximately $48 million, with a transportation budget of $12.2 million, and an overall budget of approximately $68 million.  The town employs approximately 650 employees.

Desirable Candidate Capabilities of the Town of Chapel Hill Town Manager

A needs assessment conducted as part of the process for identifying, recruiting, and selecting a new Town Manager has identified the following demonstrated and acknowledged characteristics and capabilities as desirable in a strong Town Manager candidate.

Leadership

• Absolute personal and professional integrity that manifests itself in all interactions as respect, honesty, and a willingness to listen
• Ability to establish and maintain trust in numerous internal and external relationships
• Recognition of the value of a diverse staff and a commitment to improving staff and leadership diversity
• Willingness and capability to shape a workplace environment that expects and delivers excellence consistent with the unique culture and character of the Town of Chapel Hill

• Ability to effectively lead groups to

  • Create a shared vision
  • Set measurable objectives
  • Inspire and motivate others to work cooperatively toward solutions
  • Recognize and reward others for cooperation and good performance
  • Fully develop the potential of all participants
• Adaptive leadership skills that can be used to lead change efforts and respond to planned and unplanned change effectively
• Well-developed negotiation skills which result in town-favorable outcomes with stakeholders, strategic and regional partners, and vendors
• Capability to lead and engage in cognitive conflict to achieve “win-win” solutions
• Appropriate use of personal power through influence and negotiation
• Careful use of discernment to prioritize major budget and operating issues and involve Council appropriately

Management

• Effective oral and written communication skills targeted to groups and individuals, including the ability to provide concise and accurate information about complex issues, demonstrating itself in interactions with the staff, media, and general public
• Strategic skills that anticipate areas of innovation, opportunities, potential problems and provides creative tools and solutions
• A high level of fiscal acumen, and a sense of responsibility, accountability and stewardship for the financial resources and assets of the Town
• A strong commitment to the human resources of the Town, and to provide for and promote staff diversity, career progression, succession planning, and a safe and respectful workplace environment
• Respects and embraces Chapel Hill’s community-driven and inclusive decision making processes, while providing expertise to improve and streamline processes where appropriate
• Builds, maintains, and empowers a strong leadership team, delegates appropriate authority and responsibility to them, and uses their expertise in operations, management, planning, and problem solving
• Ability to implement policies and directives from the Council that may be in conflict with one’s personal beliefs
• Expertise and experience in performance-based management

Learning and Values

• Values, manages, and encourages cognitive conflict to deliver successful output based on the free exchange of ideas in an environment free from retaliation or personal animosity towards those holding dissenting viewpoints.
• Values learning new things, demonstrates accurate self-awareness, and values similar traits in others
• Values and works effectively with the community and all stakeholders in a shared decision making environment
• Values and engages in clear, concise, and direct two-way communication/feedback with peers, subordinates, and superiors
• Accepts full responsibility for and implements decisions
• Understands and demonstrates commitment to organizational learning, which assures that Town has the capabilities, structure, and people needed to achieve its goals.
• Demonstrates a sense of humor that is appropriate and effective in building relationships and working through problems

Specific Experience

• Collaboration on key issues and service provisions across governmental jurisdictions
• A successful track record of creating and driving the implementation of effective technology solutions to organizational operations and processes
• Understanding of economic development in a progressive community
• Innovative and creative resolution of complex transit/transportation issues
• Success with affordable housing initiatives and/or inclusionary zoning
• Redevelopment expertise in a “built-out” community
• Experience working with issues of homelessness and social justice
• Seven or more years progressive experience as a manager or top executive in a comparable organization managing multiple and diverse departments.