TWSA names Montgomery its new executive director

By Rose Hooper

Following a closed meeting Tuesday night (Feb. 18), TWSA board members voted to hire Hugh Montgomery for the position formerly held by Jerry King, who retired in December. Montgomery will begin his duties March 3 with a salary of $62,798 a year.

Board member Lynda Sossamon, in her first meeting as the town of Sylva's appointee to the TWSA board, abstained from voting.

Montgomery, who was fired Jan. 27 as Pittsboro town manager, had held that post for the past five years. Pittsboro commissioners gave no explanation for their 4-1 decision to remove Montogmery, which came after two closed-door sessions. Montgomery, who served at the will of the board, was brought into one of those closed sessions in December, according to reports in the Raleigh News and Observer.

"We researched the situation thoroughly," said TWSA Chairman Mickey Luker. "The firing was politically motivated and had nothing to do with his performance. In fact, the mayor gave him a very high recommendation. Everybody we talked to praised his job performance."

During his Feb. 3 interview, Montgomery was "honest and upfront about the situation," Luker said.

Montgomery submitted his resume to the TWSA board Dec. 23, prior to his firing. In it he said, "The variety of work experiences in industry, construction, agriculture, human resources and public finance provide me with insights and understanding not traditionally found in local government managers. My proven track record of successful problem solving, provision of a safe and productive work environment based on hard work and innovation, lends support to the quality service I can provide the board of directors and customers of the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority as your next executive director."

Montgomery has also served as town manager of Ayden and Creedmore and town administrator in Marshville. He has worked with the Community Energy Conservation Program in Charlottesville, Va., and Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Corp. of Houston.

He received his associate of science degree from Lees-McRae College, his bachelor of science in business administration from Greensboro College and a master of public administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has taken post-graduate courses at East Carolina University.

He is married to Sonya Minter Montgomery, an associate clinical professor of UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Nursing and a family nurse practitioner at Pittsboro Family Medical Clinic. The couple has two children.

Back to Archive: 02/20/03.