John O’Daniel became Bladenboro’s town administrator Monday night. The 25-year-old High Point area native was hired by unanimous vote by the town’s board at its regularly scheduled monthly meeting.
O’Daniel replaces Melanie Hester, who had served as administrator since March 2014. O’Daniel’s salary will be $44,266 per year.
Hester returns to her job as town clerk and also will be finance officer. Her salary will be $42,208 per year.
Pam Bowen, who served as clerk after Hester became administrator, will return to her job as utility clerk and tax collector at a salary of $29,979.
“I’m really attracted to the town because it reminds me of where I went to high school,” O’Daniel said. “It’s a small town. Everybody kind of knows everybody. I thought it would be a great opportunity to be in a small town to get experience in all the different departments at the start of my career.”
O’Daniel will oversee a town that has a $1.6 million annual budget and 15 employees.
“We interviewed 3 candidates, and it was unanimous that it was John who the board wanted,” Bladenboro Mayor Rufus Duckworth said. “We were looking for somebody who could move the town forward. Somebody who could work with what we had. With Melanie and Pam being here, they can learn off each other.”
O’Daniel graduated earlier this year from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a master’s degree in public administration. He received his political science degree in 2013 from N.C. State University.
Hester was promoted to administrator from clerk in March 2014 after the resignation of Delane Jackson in December 2013. She had asked the board to return to her clerk’s position when possible. When an employee left a position at town hall recently, it opened the door for Hester and Bowen to return to their previous jobs and for the board to begin the search for an administrator.
“Two years ago, when the structure of the town changed, there were a lot of things left undone that we were in the middle of,” said Duckworth, who became mayor in December 2013 by defeating 10-term mayor Livingston Lewis. “At that time, Melanie said she would help us get over the hump. We really appreciate Melanie for what she has done (as administrator.)”
Hester oversaw the completion of a new community building and a new fire station, and has seen work continue on McLean Park, a new recreation facility.
In other business, the board:
** Adopted the the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan for Bladen County, which deals with transportation and pedestrian needs through 2040.
** Approved the annual contract with the Bladenboro Fire Department.
** Approved a bid from Bladen Carpet & Tile for carpet for the community building.
** Selected Fuller’s in Lumberton to cater the town’s annual Christmas banquet in early December.
** Adopted a new administrative organizational chart.
Also, Fire Chief Jackie Coleman said the new station has scheduled an open house and ribbon cutting on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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