— information courtesy of Franklin County Public Information Officer James F. Hicks III
The Franklin County Board of County Commissioners has selected Ryan Preble as its new county manager.
Preble, who has been Interim County Manager since November 2024, was appointed unanimously at the June 16 regular meeting of the Franklin County Board of County Commissioners following a national search.
“I am honored and humbled by the confidence that the Board has placed in me,” Preble said. “I look forward to working with the Board and department leaders to address the challenges together.”
Preble served as Assistant County Manager from January 25, 2023, until being named Interim County Manager on November 4, 2024. Previously, he served as Chief Information Officer and Project Management Director in Wayne County from 2016 until 2023. He also worked as an Enterprise Project Manager for Alliance One International in Farmville and as a Management Information Systems Supervisor for McRae & Associates. He served in various Information Technology roles with the United States Air Force and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for more than 11 years.
After the Board of County Commissioners approved the FY26 Budget earlier in the meeting, Commissioner Logan Davis commended Preble for his leadership during the process.
“It is a tall, tall task, it is a hard job,” Davis said to Preble. “You did a phenomenal job leading.”
Preble graduated from the University of Mount Olive with a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems. He also obtained a master’s degree in information technology with a concentration in project management and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus. He has also completed the Municipal and County Administration course with the UNC School of Government and is a Certified Government Chief Information Officer.
