New County Administrator, Michael R. Moore, to Start July 1 in Beaufort County

New County Administrator, Michael R. Moore, to Start July 1 in Beaufort County

Beaufort County is expecting the arrival of their new county administrator Michael R. Moore on July 1st, after an extended search process undertaken since the dismissal of former county administrator Eric Greenway last year. Announcing on the 31st of May, Beaufort County revealed Moore as the fortunate candidate amongst a pool of 72 hopefuls.

Moore’s Background and Selection

The new county administrator is a proud resident of York County, as well as a seasoned veteran of the Navy who served for an impressive 27 years. According to a county spokesman, Moore’s wide-ranging experience in supervisory roles, particularly concerning master planning, capital improvement, and operations oversight, earmarked him for the role.

The robust selection process was facilitated by the specialised staffing firm, Find Great People. The system, designed to secure the best possible candidate for the role, included two interview rounds spanning over five days. Following the conclusion of the interviews, Beaufort County Council shortlisted three finalists; Matthew Rhoten from Gaston County, NC, Toby L. Chappell from Greenwood, SC, and Moore. After extensive deliberation, Moore was finally chosen as the preferred appointee.

Transition of Command

Moore will officially step into the role on July 1, taking over from Interim County Administrator John Robinson. Robinson has gracefully managed the county operations for the last 10 months amidst the upheaval and controversy following Greenway’s dismissal. His contribution during this time received due acknowledgement from Beaufort County Council Vice Chairman Lawrence P. McElynn, “I’d like to thank John Robinson for his service as the Interim County Administrator. He stepped up when we needed him, and he’s done an outstanding job for us”.

Dismissal of Greenway

The series of events leading to Greenway’s dismissal began at the tail-end of July with the Beaufort County Council deciding in favour of his termination. However, the issue was not formally resolved until Sept. 11. Greenway was initially put on administrative leave, on July 24, based on reports of “procurement and procedure violations”. The council made the unanimous decision to terminate Greenway’s contract on July 28 for his “failing, refusing, and neglecting the proper performance of his duties and functions.”

On receipt of his termination notice, Greenway requested a public hearing, countering that he disagreed with the council’s rationale for his dismissal. Consequently, the council conducted a public hearing on Aug. 28, during which they presented Greenway with a detailed list of the policies and procedures violations he was accused of. As stated in county documentation, the primary violation revolved around Greenway offering a contract to the company Elementzal LLC, which had not been validated or endorsed by neither, the County Purchasing Director, nor the County Attorneys, as per the county policy.

Additionally, allegations pointed to Greenway bypassing “county hiring procedures” by creating a new “wellness director” post and subsequently appointing a candidate, reportedly bearing a personal relationship with him, thus violating designated county hiring procedures. The public hearing was rescheduled to Sept. 11 at Greenway’s request, where he defended his case. Nonetheless, the council stood by their original decision to dismiss Greenway from his county administrator position.