Press release from Buncombe County:
After a months-long national search, Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder is pleased to announce Dakisha Wesley and Sybil Tate have been selected as Assistant County Managers. “Their combined experience will significantly supplement and bring new perspectives to our existing leadership,” says Pinder. “My intentions behind a two Assistant County Manager system are to provide strategic alignment, consistency, and support among departments. This will allow me to take more of a big picture approach to Buncombe County, while allowing the assistants to provide oversight of day-to-day operations of their departments.” Pinder has yet to assign which departments Tate and Wesley will oversee. Tate is slated to begin on July 10, and Wesley is set to start on July 29.
Tate comes to Buncombe County from Person County, North Carolina. “I am honored to have the opportunity to work with Avril and the Buncombe County staff. I look forward to serving the citizens and the Board of Commissioners,” says Tate. “Buncombe County is an innovative and exciting place to work, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Meantime, Wesley joins Buncombe County from Lake County, Illinois. “The opportunity to join the Buncombe County team under Avril’s leadership is one which I am grateful and excited for,” she says. “There are many great things happening in Buncombe that allow me to offer my experience and passion in advancing the County’s interests.”
For more information about Tate and Wesley, please see their professional biographies below.
Dakisha Wesley
Dakisha (DK) Wesley comes to Buncombe County with more than 19 years of local government experience and a strong commitment to building and leading diverse teams of professionals. Her passion and results as a leader are in the areas of building high-performing teams, providing expert financial and resource management built upon integrity, ethics, and best practices. Dakisha also excels at engaging with and investing in communities through policies developed and implemented through an equity lens, leading initiatives that improve quality of life, and delivering exceptional service through trustworthy leadership.
Prior to this appointment, Dakisha served as Assistant County Administrator in Lake County, Illinois for the Law & Judicial and Health & Community Services departments where she led County-board directives concerning diversity and inclusion efforts. Prior to Lake County, Dakisha served the City of Fort Worth, Texas for 12 years in various roles including Municipal Court Services Assistant Director, Interim Court Director, Senior Management Analyst (Budget and Management Services), and Interim Budget Manager. Her entry into public service began with the University of Central Arkansas’ Office of Institutional Advancement and work with the cities of Allen and Grand Prairie, Texas.
A graduate of the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration, Dakisha earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Texas and completed the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service LEAD Government Executive Training Program.
Dakisha is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, International City/County Management Association, and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators.
Sybil Tate
Sybil Tate is the current Assistant County Manager in Person County. Sybil joined Person County Government in 2012 where she oversees Recreation, Inspections, Library, Cooperative Extension, Person Industries, Soil & Water Conservation, and Planning & Zoning. Prior to joining Person County, Sybil served as the Community and Economic Development Coordinator for Chatham County where she also served as the Performance Manager assisting in the development of a Capital Improvement Plan and the preparation of the annual operating budget.Sybil is dedicated to public service and providing high-quality services to citizens. She is passionate about creating opportunities for department heads to try innovative programs and achieve their goals.
In previous positions, she conducted waste audits, analyzed energy data, and developed expertise in sustainability practices. Sybil also has experience with performance measurement, contract management, grant writing, and grant management. She has a Master in Public Administration from the University of North Carolina and has family living in the Asheville area.
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