THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
Edward “Terrell” Blackmon, Henderson’s new city manager, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.
A native of Smithfield, and now a resident of Henderson, Blackmon brings over 25 years of economic development experience gained in various planning positions in Monroe, Raleigh, Garner and Tarboro, NC.
Blackmon received his MBA from Montreat College and his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is also a licensed real estate broker in North and South Carolina, in addition to being recognized as a certified housing development finance professional by the National Development Council.
He is married to the former Akenna Vaught of Lenoir, NC and they have two adult sons: Edward Terrell Blackmon, II and Robert Kennan Blackmon.
Blackmon said it was the area’s potential and the “hard sell” of the Henderson City Council that ultimately led him to the decision to call Henderson home. “I saw Henderson as a great opportunity for me personally and professionally. The City Council really sold me on the potential of the community; there’s a lot of opportunities for this community to grow.”
Arriving a few weeks prior to the official retirement of Henderson City Manager Frank Frazier on January 31, Blackmon said he was fortunate to have Frazier, a 35-year City veteran, available in the transition period.
“I can’t say enough how helpful he [Frazier] was during that period of time, and still makes himself available now,” said Blackmon. “The City Council, Mayor Ellington and Frank all did an excellent job of developing a plan to help make my transition here as city manager a little easier.”
In discussing areas of focus moving forward, Blackmon said officials are working on reestablishing Henderson as a designated Main Street City, enforcing residential and commercial codes, planning larger-scale redevelopment projects, identifying ways to attract private investment and expanding the Kerr Lake Regional Water System (KLRWS).
A 60-percent majority partner of the KLRWS (other partners include the City of Oxford and Warren County), Henderson City Council members approved a rate structure at their Monday meeting that would allow the city to upgrade the water output from 10 million to 20 million gallons a day, Blackmon reported.
Explaining that the KLRWS provides water to other municipalities and county systems in the four-county region, Blackmon said the expanded output would ‘increase the capacity to sell water to our customers, improve our water quality and allow the City to set rates and keep rates affordable for the citizens of Henderson.”
Impressed with the way the various entities have worked together on the KLRWS, Blackmon said he is happy to report a similar “collaborative spirit” in his dealings thus far with both City of Henderson and Vance County officials.
“I am already meeting and working with City and County officials on strategies that will hopefully benefit not just the City of Henderson but benefit all of Vance County,” said Blackmon. “We definitely want to be a partner with the County as it relates to economic development. The City has a lot of value that we can add to the economic development conversation as we are looking to create more jobs, retain the industries we do have and try to attract new industries to our community.”
To hear the interview with Blackmon in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.