At a specially called meeting Monday night, the Brevard City Council named Wilson Hooper city manager. The appointment permanently fills the position vacated by Jim Fatland late last year, and most recently occupied by two interim managers.
"I am excited and looking forward to Wilson Hooper reporting onboard as Brevard's new City Manager. Mr. Hooper brings an outstanding combination of municipal experience, leadership and high energy to the job which is exactly what we were looking for in our new manager. He will be a tremendous asset to our city as we move forward to execute our many future goals and achieve the vision that we want for our community."
-Mayor Maureen Copelof
Hooper has over sixteen years of local government experience, most recently as town manager of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. There he led the town through the creation of its first comprehensive financial policy, the development of a "non-residential buildings and structures ordinance" to protect historical downtown structures, and an update to the town's twenty year-old industrial incentives policy.
Prior to North Wilkesboro, Hooper served in various positions for the City of Charlotte, most notably as assistant to the city manager for nine years. In that capacity he oversaw the day to day operations of the manager's office and performed special projects for the city's chief executive.
The new city manager was chosen from a field of candidates recruited by the public sector advisory firm Baker Tilly, and interviewed by the City Council.
"Because of my blended experience in both big cities and small towns, I have the necessary foundation for leadership in Brevard where the size is small but the vision is big," said Hooper.
Hooper is a 2003 graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with a degree in political science and history, and a 2006 graduate of the University of North Carolina Greensboro with a Master's degree in Public Administration. From 2006 to 2007 he participated in the International City/County Management Association's Local Government Management Fellowship (LGMF) program. He is a 2012 graduate of Leadership Charlotte, and a 2021 graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Government's Public Executive Leadership Academy (PELA).
His salary will be $140,000, and he will begin work September 19, 2022.
"I'm so excited to be here," Hooper added. "Brevard's got culture, outdoor recreation, rich civic life, and motivated elected leaders. Who wouldn't want to be here?"
Hooper is a native of Lexington, North Carolina. He enjoys watching basketball, reading, and drinking coffee on his front porch. He and his wife, Kate, have two children: Caroline, nine, and William, four.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up