Chadwell brings breadth to deputy city manager job

Durham City Manager Tom Bonfield has appointed Garaland Chadwell as his new deputy city manager for Community Building.

Chadwell will join the city in mid September alongside current deputy managers Theodore Voorhees and Wanda Page. As a member of the City Manager’s Office, which is responsible for all of the programs and services provided by the city, Chadwell will head various municipal departments, including Human Relations, Community Development and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development.

Chadwell said he is looking forward to coming to the city and brings to the table “a varied background in community organization and planning and a thorough knowledge of government programs and services.” He said he was particularly impressed with the ways in which Durham has provided “modern and productive sources of employment and enjoyment for its community.” Chadwell added that he hopes to “spread the largesse of those activities into the neighborhoods and help ensure that they realize the successes that Durham is starting to enjoy.”

Chadwell has worked in state and local government for more than 25 years. Most recently, he served as the city manager of Pompano Beach, Fla. Prior to that position, Chadwell held city management positions in Fulton County, Ga., Washington, D.C. and Virginia Beach. Chadwell’s breadth of experience in “human services and community relations-type activities” made him a unique and particularly attractive candidate, Bonfield said.

The appointment has been met with excitement in City Hall. City Council member Eugene Brown referred to the city manager’s job, with its 2,300 employees and $355 million budget, as a “tough one,” and said he sees a real need for a third deputy. Brown added that he believes Chadwell has the experience to “provide the spark needed to take it to the next level.”

Mayor Bill Bell said although he has not yet met the new deputy, on paper Chadwell looks to be “well qualified” and a “good pick.”