Kinston City Council appoints Ralph Clark as interim city manager after closed-session personnel meeting

Kinston, N.C. — At a Jan. 30 special meeting, the Kinston City Council unanimously accepted the resignation of interim city manager Steve Harrell and appointed Ralph Clark as interim city manager effective immediately.

The council entered closed session at 1:05 p.m. to discuss personnel matters under North Carolina General Statute 143-318.11(a)(6), a statutory citation City Clerk Debra Thompson corrected at the outset of the meeting. Councilmember Hardy moved to go into closed session, and Councilmember Lipford seconded; the motion carried unanimously. The Council exited closed session at 2:52 p.m.

After reconvening, Mayor Pro Tem Felicia Solomon moved to accept Harrell’s resignation; Councilmember Aiken seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Solomon then moved to employ Ralph Clark as interim city manager and directed the city attorney to prepare a contract consistent with terms discussed by the Council; Councilmember Hardy seconded, and that motion also passed unanimously.

Mayor Kareem Moore said the Council had worked together and reached a unanimous decision, and formally welcomed Clark to the position. Clark addressed the Council, thanked members for their confidence, and described priorities discussed during his interview: identifying what residents want and are willing to pay for; reviewing how city services are delivered; and improving internal and public communications. Clark said he will work four days a week, Monday through Thursday.

Clark summarized a long career in local government of roughly 50 years, beginning as a laborer in 1970 and later serving as town administrator of Clayton, N.C., in 1976. He has worked in multiple North Carolina municipalities, including prior service in Kinston through 2007, and said this will be his fourteenth interim manager assignment over the past seven to eight years. He also noted nearly 12 years in the private sector with an engineering firm.

Speaking to Kinston’s recent economic history, Clark cited the closures of major local employers — DuPont, a shirt factory, Hampton and Diamond Tobacco — and said those losses contributed to population decline and revenue shortfalls that shaped difficult local decisions. He said workforce development and addressing an aging population are among the city’s pressing priorities, comparing Kinston’s experience to trends he has seen in Danville, Virginia.

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn, which carried unanimously at 3:50 p.m.

Minutes for the meeting were submitted by City Clerk Debra Thompson.