Black Mountain hires town clerk and finance director

Town fills vacancies in administrative department

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 18, 2020

Two employees hired by the Town of Black Mountain this summer have filled a pair of vacancies within the administration department. 

Town Manager Josh Harrold hired Kirk Medlin to fill the role of finance director in late June, and named Savannah Parrish town clerk and assistant to the town manager near the end of July. 

The town began searching for a new finance director in April after Dean Luebbe, who had held the position since 2011, was dismissed for multiple personnel violations, according to documents obtained through a public information request. While Harrold could not comment on the personnel matter, the dismissal notice signed by Luebbe indicated that he was terminated for conduct unbecoming of a public officer. 

The town clerk vacancy came in May when Angela Reece accepted a similar position with the City of Hendersonville. 

“Each of these positions play an important role in the Town, and within the administration department,” Harrold said. “It was a priority to find people who were not only knowledgeable and experienced people to fulfill those positions, but that also fit well within the organization.”

Town of Black Mountain Finance Director Kirk Medlin. Photo by Fred McCormick

Kirk Medlin 

Medlin earned a master’s degree in accounting from UNC-Charlotte in 2007 and worked in public accounting until accepting the finance officer positions for the Town of Stallings, in his native Union County, in 2011. He became an accountant for the City of Charlotte in 2017 and held a similar position with the City of Mount Holly until 2019, when he sought a return to the finance director position. 

After beginning his search near his hometown, he expanded it to include the mountains. 

“When I saw a position was available in Black Mountain, I was like ‘wow,’” he said. “I applied immediately.”

Candidates for the position were required to hold a certified public accountant license, narrowing the pool. 

“We had two licensed CPAs apply for the position,” said Harrold, who convened a panel that included officials from other municipal governments to help in the hiring process. “I could’ve hired someone who was not a CPA, however, bringing someone in with that certification shows that they’ve put in the time to learn as much as they can about accounting. I felt that was an important qualification for this position.”

The interview process included a traditional format, followed by a situational analysis assignment. 

“Kirk’s interview went really well,” Harrold said. “I was impressed with his response to the analysis, and his previous experience as a finance director with Stallings helped him stand out. He had five years of experience, specifically as a finance director. Another thing that was impressive to the panel was that he did five years of (Comprehensive Annual Finance Reports), and those are significant because they’re a thorough analysis of the town’s financials. Having interviewed him, he felt like a really good fit here.”

Medlin was hired days before the passing of the 2020-21 budget.

“I got started as soon as I could get here,” he said. “Starting a job as a finance director just before the end of the fiscal year is not ideal, because the entire year is stuff that you weren’t around for. We’re still in the process of catching up with year-end and audit work, so right now we’re looking very closely at everything and getting up to speed.”

The current budget, which was presented by Harrold and approved by the board of aldermen on June 23, allows flexibility to adjust as the COVID-19 pandemic creates uncertainty regarding next year, according to Medlin. 

“Sales tax is the primary issue right now, but we’re monitoring the numbers and at this point it’s too early to know what that impact will be,” he said. “We do have a good financial reserve, and there are some towns in this state that are hurting financially already, and we are not. This town is in a solid financial opinion, so there is no need to worry us not being able to carry out basic services.”

Town clerk and assistant to the town manager Savannah Parrish who started with the Town of Black Mountain on July 23, is one of two employees recently hired to fill vacancies in the administration department. Courtesy photo

Savannah Parrish

Black Mountain received approximately 30 applications for the town clerk position before a three-person panel, including Harrold, conducted nine interviews. Three candidates were invited to a second interview. 

“We were looking for people who met the criteria in the job advertisement, clerk experience and a master’s degree in public administration,” Harrold said. “We asked a series of roughly 25 questions, many of which asked how applicants would respond to certain situations.”

Parrish holds a master’s degree in public affairs from Western Carolina University and worked in 2014 as a field representative for the office of White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows during his tenure as representative of the state’s 11th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. She worked as the advancement office manager for Christ School from 2015 until starting with the Town of Black Mountain July 23. 

“Savannah really stood out in the first round of interviews because she had an answer for every question,” Harrold said. “Even though she had no prior experience as a town clerk, she was not easy to stump with questions. She stood out as being bright, personable and approachable throughout the entire interview process. It was also apparent that she’d done research on the town.”

Working in local government has long been a goal for Parrish.

“I learned about the job through the Masters of Public Affairs Facebook page,” she said. “It immediately stood out to me because I knew that a town clerk had to have strong administrative skills and experience working with the public and building strong relationships, and that was all very relevant to my experience. Also, I love Black Mountain. I’m from the Asheville area and my family and I come out every year for the Fourth of July and to enjoy the local restaurants.”

The town clerk’s roles with the town include providing notices of upcoming meetings, maintaining town records and a wide range of administrative tasks. 

“It’s my job to provide transparency for the town,” Parrish said. “If someone is looking for a record of something, I can help with that. Also, I provide administrative support for the town manager, mayor and board of aldermen, and that’s a big part of the job, as well.”

Fulfilling the responsibilities of the job requires a unique skillset, according to Harrold.  

“That position requires you to be on your toes and able to handle multiple responsibilities at the same time,” he said. “It’s important to have someone who can take and analyze information.”