Fox Begins Duties As Alexander County Manager Today

A new county manager begins duties today in Alexander County.

The Alexander County Board of Commissioners announced in April that Fox will serve as the next county manager. Fox was selected from a competitive pool of applicants from across the region and state. In the end, the Board chose Fox due to a combination of his education, experience, and personal characteristics.

Fox was the the Town Manager for Blowing Rock in Watauga and Caldwell Counties, He is a graduate of Caldwell Community College and Appalachian State University, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Accounting.

Mr. Fox said, “My family and I could not be more excited about the opportunity to be Alexander County’s manager. This is an unbelievably exciting time for Alexander County, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve the citizens and stakeholders. I am excited to work alongside an experienced and dedicated Board of Commissioners and with a proven team of professionals and teammates. Having grown up in the Dudley Shoals area of Caldwell County, I feel like I am coming back home, and I look forward to rejoining this community.”

Some highlights and accomplishments of Shane Fox include:

• Over eight years in North Carolina public sector management and over 14 years in private sector finance consulting, including 10 years as an auditor at Martin Starnes working with North Carolina local governments and non-profits. Martin Starnes began in Taylorsville in 1987 and is the current County auditor with strong ties to the area.
• Significant grant acquisitions during Blowing Rock Manager tenure, including a $4.8 million water and sewer grant for Main Street water and sewer replacement and a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) grant of $500,000.
• As CFO and Deputy County Manager of Cleveland County, developed and administered an annual budget of $120M allocated within 26 departments and 47 individual funds, including 13 active capital project funds.
• While in Cleveland County, re-engineered EMS and Central Collections resulting in annual savings/earnings of $500K.
• As the executive director of the High Country Council of Governments, performed successful collaboration with the NC Department of Commerce, Workforce Solutions, Rural Economic Development, Department of Aging, Appalachian Regional Commission, and Economic Development Administration.

The Western Piedmont Council of Governments (WPCOG) assisted Alexander County with the search process. The WPCOG is a regional planning, service, and economic development agency that is owned by and serves the 28 local governments in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba Counties.

Gary L Herman