Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010

Fuquay's town manager to retire

Andy Hedrick, who has managed the town since 2005, will step down Dec. 31.

Town manager Andy Hedrick is retiring.

Hedrick, 54, told the Fuquay-Varina Board of Commissioners last week that his last day would be Dec. 31.

The decision caps a career that includes 33 years of public service, including more than five years as town manager of Fuquay-Varina.

Hedrick took up his post in February 2005 and has recently led the town through tight financial times with conservative long-range budget planning that drew praise from mayor John Byrne. At a commissioners meeting last week, Byrne thanked Hedrick for his leadership, his fiscal responsibility and his tireless efforts on behalf of the town.

When Hedrick was hired, the town staff was struggling, Two police officers resigned amid allegations of misconduct. Hedrick took over for John Ellis, who also resigned.

"Our staff was in constant turmoil," Commissioner Cindy Sheldon said. "But Andy stepped in and calmed that down. He and our new police chief increased the professionalism of our staff."

Sheldon said she expects the board to begin laying out a plan for Hedrick's replacement at the next Board of Commissioners meeting.

Sheldon said the goal would be for the new town manager to have as much time as possible to learn from Hedrick before he leaves.

When Hedrick took over the town's staff of 168 employees, financial times were much better than today. In 2007, Fuquay-Varina's citizens approved millions of dollars in bond money for downtown improvements and transportation upgrades.

Those projects, including the Judd Parkway, are moving forward, albeit at a slower paced than originally expected. And Hedrick's leadership has been crucial in keeping the town moving forward, within budget, through the economic downturn.

"He's worked so hard to take our town to the next level," Sheldon said.

Hedrick's career in North Carolina municipal government took him from the mountains to the sea. At age 21, after graduating from Western Carolina University, he became parks and recreation director in Spruce Pine.

He advanced through various government jobs.

He was athletic director, assistant to the county manager and personnel director in Davidson County. Then he was personnel director in the city of Lexington. After that, he was town manager and interim police chief of Surf City. He went on to become assistant manager and manager of Pender County.

Then he landed in Fuquay-Varina. Back then, the town was a little more than half its current size, only about 12,000 people, but Hedrick saw an opportunity there.

"All I needed to know was that the town was in Wake County," he said. "I knew good and well this was an area of growth and opportunity."

And Hedrick helped to keep the town growing, even through the economic downturn. Fuquay-Varina's population will soon top 20,000.

Hedrick's best memories in Fuquay-Varina aren't of balancing the budget, securing a viable 5-year financial plan, or minimizing the impact of explosive health care costs on town employees, but of guiding an entry-level employee to college and on toward management, or helping raise money for an employee facing a sudden health crisis.

Hedrick faced his own health scare last January when he suffered a heart attack.

He says the incident was a wake-up call, but not a major factor in his decision to retire at age 54.

Having consolidated more than three decades of public service, Hedrick says he's been eligible to retire for almost a year now.

"I'm not burned out," he said, "I just have about 20 years worth of work to do on 30 acres of farmland."

Hedrick says he and his wife, Cathy, will likely move to Davidson County where, among other things, he'll tend 30 cows and mend long stretches of fence on property passed down from his father.

"I also look forward to spending more time with my family," Hedrick said. "I hope to make it to most of my grandkids' ball games, not just one here and there."