money Alamance County has new manager, lawyer
After months of interim leadership, Alamance County government again has a permanent manager and attorney.
Monday, Aug. 1 was the first day for Alamance County government’s new lawyer James “Rik” Stevens. Rik is short for Fredrick, he said. He comes from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office where he was staff attorney, though his background is as a deputy sheriff and EMT.
Stevens’ salary from Alamance County is $160,000, according to Cheryl Ray, county human resources director.
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After 14 years with the county, the commissioners suddenly fired former county attorney Clyde Albright on Oct. 6 calling his job performance unsatisfactory. Bechtel with Teague, Campbell, Dennis & Gorham LLP had already been brought on as interim county attorney, according to a court filing Albright submitted in a federal suit involving the county explaining why he had not made a court appearance. County human resources and Commissioner Bill Lashley refused to even let Albright use his county issued computer to formally withdraw from the cases he had been handling.
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It was a busy stretch for the county legally with a federal lawsuit over the Oct. 31, 2020, police crackdown on a demonstration on the last day of early voting, and a federal class-action suit over the county’s bail policy working through the courts.
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Stevens got a degree in international relations from George Washington University in 2004, according to his LinkedIn page, a law degree from North Carolina Central University in 2012 and a master’s in public administration from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2020. Along the way, he served as an EMT and sheriff’s deputy in Guilford County including as a school resource officer and assistant sheriff’s attorney until moving to Chatham County in 2019.
A month earlier, Heidi York stepped in as Alamance County manager. The county announced her hiring in March while she was still Person County manager. That was also when former Alamance County manager Bryan Hagood was retiring to move to western North Carolina where his wife had a career opportunity. Assistant County Manager Sherry Hook filled in as county manager through the spring, which is among the busiest times in local government when the manager writes and submits a budget, and the county commissioners change and vote on it.
York is from Maryland originally. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2001 and a Bachelor’s Degree in law from American University in 1999, according to her LinkedIn page. She was hired as Person County manager in 2008 and was an assistant county manager in Durham for seven years before that.
Alamance County is paying her $180,000 per year.
Isaac Groves is the Alamance County government watchdog reporter for the Times-News and the USA Today Network. Call or text 919-998-8039 with tips and comments or follow him on Twitter @TNIGroves.
This article originally appeared on Times-News: Alamance County has permanent leadership after months of interim management
