The Town of Carrboro has named its new town manager: Richard J. White III, who’s making his return to Carrboro’s local government after 15 years.

The town announced its selection in a release on Tuesday, choosing its replacement for current Town Manager David Andrews, who is set to retire at the end of July.

Richard White III is the Town of Carrboro’s new town manager. (Photo via the Town of Carrboro.)

White graduated from UNC as a Morehead Scholar and a North Carolina Fellow; he also has a master’s in public administration from NC State. He served as Assistant to the Town Manager in Carrboro from 2000 to 2006 before moving on to Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, and returning to North Carolina in 2014 to serve as the town manager in Elon.

Most recently, White has spent the last two years in Asheville, serving as Assistant City Manager and Interim Equity and Inclusion Director. Among other things, he worked on the city’s response to COVID-19, as well as racial justice initiatives like the removal of the Vance Monument downtown and the city’s plan for reparations for the legacy of slavery and racial discrimination. Asheville was one of the first cities in the U.S. to pass a resolution endorsing a specific reparations plan.

In a statement, Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle said, “We are delighted to be bringing Richard back to Carrboro. The valuable experience he gained during his time away from us makes it possible for him to come back to this town he is so familiar with and hit the ground running.”

Said White in a statement: “Carrboro was a wonderful community where I was able to learn and grow professionally at the beginning of my career. I am grateful and excited to have the opportunity to return and to join with the Town Council, residents, and staff to achieve extraordinary outcomes.”

White will begin his new position on Monday, August 23.


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