Tim Greene has retired as county manager. (File photo)
Mitchell County will be guided by a new county manager after the retirement of Tim Greene, effective Friday, Dec. 31.
Greene gives way to Lloyd Hise, who will serve in an interim capacity until a new manager is hired.
Greene, a Mitchell County resident, has a degree in business administration from Mars Hill University. He previously served as the county manager of Avery County and vice president of administrative services at Mayland Community College. He served as the finance officer in Avery County before taking the manager position in Mitchell in April 2020.
“I’ve done a lot of work in local government,” Greene said. “You truly are a public servant and you do have an opportunity to make a difference. A lot of it is collaborative efforts.”
Greene will continue to reside in Mitchell County, adding that he looks forward to seeing the progress of the new law enforcement center. Greene first started talking to Sen. Ralph Hise about the need for the center in June 2021 during a grand opening ceremony for the Blue Ridge Boutique Hotel in Spruce Pine.
At that time, Hise mentioned that an approved state budget could be coming soon and that Mitchell County could have assistance available. Greene lobbied hard for the need for a law enforcement center. Hise encouraged him to make a formal request.
Greene did just that, assembling a formal request shortly after that conversation that included detailed schematics and budget requests.
“It’s been a pleasure to work here,” Greene said. “I’ve been involved in a number of things even though it’s not been a long period of time.”
Greene was thrown directly into the fire of a global pandemic when he started in April 2020. In his first days as manager, the county offices were shuttered.
“We were doing businesses but there were people working from home,” he recalled.
Greene and other local officials ushered in the reopening of county buildings on June 1. Greene said he felt it was time for a safe reopening.
“At the time, I felt like we’re public servants and how can we serve the public if we’re not open,” Greene said.
Greene said he plans on enjoying retirement. He recently began dabbling in woodworking and plans to spend time traveling with his wife. The two will also enjoy more time with their seven grandchildren.
As for who takes over as county manager, Greene said he hopes it’s someone of great character. He told the commissioners he is available to help with the new hire.
“You always want an educated and confident person but even more important is a person of character,” he said. “You just can’t overcome bad character. Local government is a different field. It truly is. If you hire someone with good character, things will work out.”