Chapel Hill chooses a new town manager. Here’s what we know about the NC native
A former Durham deputy city manager will be the next person to lead Chapel Hill town government.
Theodore “Ted” Voorhees will become the new town manager Aug. 11. He replaces interim Town Manager Mary Jane Nirdlinger, the town’s deputy town manager, who has served in the top role since January.
The town chose Voorhees after a national search that included “a very strong group of candidates,” Mayor Jess Anderson said in a news release. Voorhees has served as county administrator for Orange County, Virginia, since April 2020.
“We are very excited to have Ted joining us in Chapel Hill,” Anderson said. “He has experience working here in North Carolina and brings fresh perspectives from his time in Virginia. The council is looking forward to working together with him to keep moving Chapel Hill’s vision forward.”
Voorhees will earn $265,000 a year, spokesman Alex Carrasquillo said.
Voorhees’ other previous positions include: county administrator for Powhatan County, Virginia; city manager for Fayetteville; assistant city manager for Wilmington; city manager for King, N.C.; and town manager for Bowling Green, Virginia. He was the deputy city manager of operations for Durham for 10 years.
Voorhees has a bachelor’s degree from American University and a master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University. He is also a credentialed manager through the International City/County Management Association.
He also graduated from the UNC School of Government’s Municipal Administration Program and earned a certificate from the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
He and his wife, Michele, have four sons.
Plans to listen, collaborate
Voorhees said he is “deeply honored to work alongside Mayor Anderson, the Town Council and Chapel Hill’s dedicated team of public servants to advance the council’s vision of building a connected, sustainable, and welcoming community where everyone can thrive.”
“I am humbled. I’m appreciative,” Voorhees said June 25. “I thank each one of you for your work and for considering me, and I pledge to you that I will do my best to serve with empathy and to practice deep listening through my first several months here, so I can really understand the perspectives of the community and of our residents.”
He noted that UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts also met with him. During their conversation, Voorhees said he mentioned Durham’s partnership with Duke University during his time in that city and “how transformative those kinds of institutional relationships can be on the future of the community.”
“I think that is symbolic of the deep, important partnership that we have with Carolina, and some of the exciting work that will be going on here likely over the next several years. I look forward to that,” Voorhees said.
Issues facing Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill’s previous manager, Chris Blue, retired from the town for a second time Dec. 31, 2024. Blue served as Chapel Hill police chief for many years before retiring from that position in December 2022. He moved into the role of interim town manager before being officially hired as the town’s manager in July 2023.
Both Blue and Nirdlinger have tried to address significant needs in the town, with Nirdlinger recently warning the council that the town could face “an unpredictable next couple of years.”
Besides the potential effect of federal tariffs and state and federal budget cuts, the town is working its way through millions of dollars in maintenance backlogs and big-ticket purchases, including replacement public safety and public works vehicles.
Rising property tax rates to pay for the needs hit homeowners especially hard this year, making it even more unaffordable for lower- and middle-income families to live in Chapel Hill. That also affects the town’s ongoing work to provide more affordable housing.
Anderson thanked Nirdlinger for her service as interim manager..
“Since January, she has provided a steady hand for town operations and helped us navigate a number of challenges, including the budget. We are grateful for the leadership she has provided during this time of transition,” Anderson said.
This story was originally published June 25, 2025 at 7:44 PM.
