Alamance County’s manager Bryan Hagood has announced his plans to retire from his position as the county’s top-ranking administrator effective at the end of April next year.
In a formal statement on Tuesday, Sherry Hook, the county’s personnel director and one of two assistant county managers, revealed that Hagood intends to leave his position after 24 years in the county’s employ in order to “relocate with his family to western North Carolina.”
Hagood himself was somewhat more forthcoming about his plans in a brief interview later that morning.
“I’m eligible for early retirement, and it coincides with a great opportunity for my wife up in Waynesville,” he told The Alamance News. “I’ve been very blessed with the way things have come together.”
According to the county’s personnel office, the 49-year-old county manager has worked for the county since he joined its recreation and parks department on May 18, 1998. A former Marine who served in Operation Desert Storm, Hagood would rise through the ranks of county government to serve as the county’s recreation and parks director and an assistant county manager before he was tapped to serve as county manager in March of 2017. As county manager, Hagood currently has a salary of $144,891 a year.
In Tuesday’s formal announcement, Hagood identifies two of his chief accomplishments as manager as his role in the development of the Haw River Trail and the acquisition of property for “passive” county parks. The outgoing manager also highlights his part in the creation of an “Education Capital Funding” plan that has guided the county’s annual outlays to both the Alamance-Burlington school system and Alamance Community College.
Although Hagood did not expound on the position that awaits his wife in Waynesville, The Alamance News also talked subsequently with Misty Hagood, who has served as the finance director for the town of Elon; she confirmed that she has accepted a position as finance director for the town of Waynesville.
The town of Elon has already posted an ad for a new finance director with a salary range between $68,435.26 and $85,544.07. Misty Hagood is currently making $84,319.15, according to the town. She’s leaving at the end of November, she said.
In the meantime, the Hagoods have put their Gibsonville home on the market, which according to Zillow, has an offer currently pending.
Despite the sale of his home, Hagood said that he’ll continue to live in Alamance County until he wraps up his tenure as county manager at the end of April.
In Tuesday’s formal statement, John Paisley, Jr., the chairman of Alamance County’s commissioners, has high praise for Hagood’s overall contribution to Alamance County.
“Mr. Hagood has done a wonderful job as county manager,” the commissioners’ chairman asserts. “Due to his planning, leadership, and excellent communication, we feel well prepared as he transitions from the county next year.”
Hagood, meanwhile, is equally deferential to the county’s governing board as he embarks on his retirement six months from now.
“It’s been a wonderful privilege to serve as county manager,” he added, “and want to thank the commissioners for the opportunity to serve.”
Hagood’s announcement comes roughly six weeks after the commissioners dismissed county attorney Clyde Albright from his long-time position with Alamance County. Although there’s no indication the two events are connected, the concurrence of Albright’s termination and the county manager’s early retirement has marked an end to nearly five years of stability in the upper echelon of Alamance County’s staff.
