Archie Pertiller, Jr. brings active listening and collaborative spirit to the board of aldermen
Incumbent candidate seeks ‘honor’ of serving Black Mountain
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 17, 2020
Incumbent Archie Pertiller, Jr. is one of six candidates running for three seats on the Black Mountain Board of Aldermen this November. Photo by Fred McCormick
With early voting for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election continuing until Saturday, Oct. 31, The Valley Echo is publishing a series of profiles on candidates in the race for three seats on the Black Mountain Board of Aldermen. Profiles of all six candidates will be published weekly through the end of October.
Archie Pertiller, Jr. has spent all but 12 years of his life in Black Mountain. Representing the fifth of seven generations to have called the Swannanoa Valley home, there was one thing he never questioned during his time away at Cumberland College and serving in the U.S. Air Force.
“I always knew I was coming home,” said the alderman, who was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the board exactly one month after filing to run in the Nov. 3 election. “Growing up here, I always knew I was going to live here as an adult. I always knew where I was going to raise my family and build my home.”
Pertiller’s first foray into his hometown political arena was in 2011, when he ran unsuccessfully for an alderman seat against Don Collins, Maggie Tuttle and Mike Sobol. He would later serve on the Zoning Board of Adjustments and has held seats on various local committees, including the Swannanoa Valley Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast Board of Directors, Swannanoa Valley Montessori School (now Black Mountain Montessori) Executive Board of Directors, the State Employees’ Credit Union Advisory Board and others.
“I’ve traveled all over the United States, and I’ve found no other place like this,” Pertiller said of his decision to seek an alderman seat. “It would be an honor to continue serving this community.”
An active listening approach
A key responsibility of leaders is gathering enough information to make informed and appropriate decisions, according to Pertiller.
“I am what you would call an active listener. I don’t have a lot to say, but when I do say something it’s what I mean,” he said. “My job is to listen to others, and find out from them what they need. It is up to us as a board to listen to the community.”
Pertiller came to the board with “no agenda,” he added.
“To me, the key to serving the people of the community is to communicate openly,” he said. “I want everyone to have a voice, and it’s important to me to hear what they have to say. If that calls for quarterly town hall-style meetings, even if they’re virtual for now, then that’s what we need to do.”
Prior to his retirement from the state, Pertiller worked at the Julian F. Keith Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center for more than two decades. He is currently the co-owner of National Crisis Intervention Plus, a company that creates standardized curriculum for organizations that provide services for mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse. His experience in the field has offered Pertiller unique insight into the art of communication.
“A lot of people believe that communication is just about listening to the other person talk,” he said. “In fact, the vast majority of communication is about body language and active listening. That is much different than sitting through what a person has to say and just waiting for them to finish. It means that you are actively listening to the things they have to say.”
Change is constant in Black Mountain
As much as Pertiller’s career has helped shape his perspective on the importance of communication, his experience growing up in his hometown has taught him about progress in Black Mountain.
“I remember, as a child, riding downtown with my grandfather in his wagon with his horse,” he said. “When you look around today, it’s hard to even imagine how far this town has come in the past 50 or 60 years.”
Some of the earliest lessons Pertiller would carry with him throughout his life came in pivotal moments in history.
“Change is something that I have seen a lot of around here in my time,” he said. “When I first started going to school in this community, we were still segregated. I went to Carver for first and second grade and then I went to Black Mountain Primary. That was something I’ll never forget because I’m not sure what that experience would have been like if it hadn’t been for my third grade teacher, Josephine Edwards. She made me feel like I was part of her family and that left a major impression on me.”
It was in the era of integration that Pertiller learned to embrace change and the importance of getting to know people.
“You can’t judge people by race, ethnicity and skin color,” he said. “You have to judge people on who they are. That’s something that has stuck with me throughout my whole life and this community taught me that.”
Many changes in the town would follow, and Pertiller observed them closely.
“The beautification of Lake Tomahawk is something that has always stood out to me,” he said. “I used to fish this lake as a child and you could hardly get to the water. It was all overgrown and you had to walk through weeds and briers just to get to a fishing spot. Look at what it is now, and a lot of people don’t realize how much time and effort this town invested into turning this into the beautiful place it is today.”
Lake Tomahawk is one of many local amenities treasured by Pertiller, who was married at the gazebo overlooking the water 16 years ago.
“I look at this lake today and think about how far it has come over the years, and we’re still working to improve it now,” he said. “Today, it’s something that the community takes pride in and it’s an attraction for so many residents and visitors.”
However, while change has been constant, the process often takes time.
“We have always changed to keep up with the times, and for as long as I can remember there have been voices wanting certain things right now,” Pertiller said. “I know I’ve been guilty of that myself, but the town has to be fiscally responsible when it comes to how we address those wants and needs.”
Called to serve
The board of aldermen has experienced a significant amount of turnover in recent years. In 2017, when Collins was elected mayor, Carlos Showers was appointed to fill the resulting vacancy. Less than a year later, Jeremie Konegni resigned months into his first term and Tim Raines was appointed to take his place. The death of Showers in January of this year created another vacancy and aldermen tapped Jennifer Willet as his replacement. In August, Collins stepped down as mayor and Larry Harris was selected by the board to fill the remaining two years of his term.
To fill the seat formerly occupied by Harris, the board chose Pertiller.
“The board is responsible for appointing replacements when seats are vacant,” he said. “There have been many vacancies in recent years, all for different reasons, and that’s put us in a position where many of the current members have been appointed.”
Pertiller believes the town should implement a standard process that dictates the steps the board is required to take when filling open seats. He would like to provide an opportunity for public input on how that should work.
“We need to have an open discussion between the community and the board about this process,” he said. “I feel confident that we can develop an efficient and transparent way of addressing this issue.”
However, the lack of an existing protocol for addressing vacancies on the board didn’t prevent Pertiller from accepting the position when aldermen voted 3-1 to put him in the seat.
“I was one of the candidates running for alderman when they appointed me, so when I was asked to serve, saying yes was an easy decision for me,” he said. “I entered the race because I wanted to serve this community, so when the opportunity to do that was presented, of course I accepted it.”
Pertiller has spent his first two months on the board getting up to speed on town business. He emphasizes collaboration in his approach to the position.
“I don’t really like to use the word ‘compromise,’” he said. “A lot of boards and committees have inner-struggles between members, and you can’t do that. When people compromise they are giving up something they believe in, but when you collaborate, you come ready to meet in the middle and make a good decision.”
Maintaining small town values in a growing community
One thing that has remained consistent in Black Mountain throughout Pertiller’s life has been the shared sense of community embraced by many of the local residents.
“This is a tight-knit community, and it’s always been that way,” he said. “We all live here because we love this valley, and I think many of our shared values can only come from a place like this.”
However, as Pertiller has witnessed first-hand throughout his time in Black Mountain, growth is inevitable.
“Look at this place, and the people who live here,” he said. “If I wasn’t from here I would move here. So, what we need to do is to plan for the future and encourage responsible development, because people will always want to come to Black Mountain.”
Improving current infrastructure to accommodate continued growth is a priority for Pertiller.
“Stormwater is something that is on everybody’s radar,” he said. “Every time we get a heavy rain that issue is obvious. And it’s also obvious that with every new development, the more runoff we have. We need to look at all of the available options for reducing stormwater runoff and work very hard to get ahead of it.”
Addressing issues like stormwater runoff and the completion of the town’s greenway system will certainly help the town accommodate its growing number of residents, Pertiller continued, but the solutions to those challenges are often more complicated than many people realize.
“There are often things involved in these kinds of big-picture issues that members of the community may not be fully aware of,” he said. “I think, as aldermen, we need to be very open and transparent when communicating with the people about these kinds of things, because the more familiar people are with the nuances of these types of things, the better they can understand what we’re up against.”
Throughout his campaign, Pertiller has encouraged residents to have “healthy conversations” about issues that impact the town. That is something he plans to continue doing if elected.
“I appreciate all of those people who have already spoken to me about their priorities and visions for this town,” he said. “I look forward to speaking to many more between now and the election, and if I’m elected I would be honored to serve this community that has already given me so much.”