Raleigh picks two-time UNC grad, makes history with its new city manager
Raleigh has picked its next city manager from within.
Marchell Adams-David, one of Raleigh’s three assistant city managers, has been selected to succeed City Manager Ruffin Hall at the start of 2021. Hall announced in August he is retiring at the end of the year.
She’ll be the first woman and first African American in the city’s top job, Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said.
“It is with humility and pride that I accept this challenging position and opportunity of a lifetime,” Adams-David said at a City Council meeting Wednesday.
“I’ve committed my life to serving the community and to public service,” she said. “And to whom much is given, much is required. I am honored and excited to be leading our Capital City forward into 2021 and many years beyond.”
Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said it became clear during interviews that Marchell — who has been an assistant city manager here for seven years — was uniquely positioned to lead the growing city of 510,000 people.
“She has an incredible combination of experience and vision,” Baldwin said. “She also understands the challenges of social and racial justice, and demonstrated her ability to lead on these issues.”
The city received nearly 60 applications from across the country and interviewed six finalists.
“Sometimes it takes a national search to realize you have exactly what you need right here at home,” Baldwin said.
Adams-David worked for 13 years for the city of Hamlet before coming to Raleigh in 2014, according to The Pee Dee Post. She’s overseen the police, fire, emergency services, parks, housing and neighborhoods departments.
A native of North Carolina, Adams-David is a two-time graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill and was an adjunct professor at UNC Pembroke for nearly 20 years.
The Raleigh city manager oversees the city’s 4,000 full-time and 3,000 part-time employees across 20 departments and recommends the annual city budget, $1.01 billion this fiscal year, to the City Council.
Adams-David’s new salary is $275,000.
This story was originally published November 4, 2020 at 4:07 PM.
