Mebane’s development director Cy Stober will be taking a job across the county line, becoming Orange County’s new planning director, effective June 21. He will fill the post vacated by longtime planning director Craig Benedict, who retired April 1 after serving Orange County for 23 years.
Stober has served in Mebane for five years, since February 15, 2017.
Orange County manager Bonnie Hammersley made the announcement Friday. “We are thrilled to find someone so well-qualified who is also familiar with the issues facing Orange County,” Hammersley said. “Cy’s background includes experience with state, federal, local and regional governments, which will be a tremendous asset for Orange County.”
“As planning director of Mebane, I have witnessed the county’s commitment to innovative and progressive planning,” Stober said. “In order to meet the challenges of unprecedented growth, Orange County will need to maintain its role as a proponent of economic development, regional partnerships, transportation efficiency, and sustainability while also maintaining its emphasis on equity, accountability and environmental protection.”
As Mebane’s development director, Stober oversees development and growth for a fast-growing city of 18,000 residents. His duties included approval and oversight of the construction of hundreds of houses and millions of square feet of industrial space, from the initial permits through the issuance of the certificate of occupation.
“My role has required me to cultivate a familiarity with Orange County’s Unified Development Ordinance,” said Stober. “I have collaborative working relationships with the Orange County Planning, Transit, Soil and Erosion Control, Land Records, and Management departments as well as staff at the NCDOT and other municipalities in the county and region.”
Prior to his tenure in Mebane, Stober served as a Source Water Assessment Program Manager for the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality and was a Senior Regional Planner for the Piedmont Triad Regional Council, which provided services to 74 local governments throughout 12 counties, including Alamance. He began his career as Environmental Education/Outreach Coordinator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Region 3) as part of an Americorps Service Year.
An Ohio native, Stober earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Ohio University and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University.
