IBX News

City of New Bern issued the following announcement on Jan. 3.

The City of New Bern announces the promotion of George Chiles to Director of Public Works. At Tuesday’s Board of Aldermen meeting, City Manager Foster Hughes made the announcement and introduced Mr. Chiles as the new director. Mr. Chiles has served as Interim Director of Public Works on two occasions, most recently since July of this year.

Twenty-two applications were considered for this position. Mr. Chiles stood out from the other candidates with his knowledge, experience and leadership within the department. Mr. Chiles began working for the City of New Bern in 2019 as Staff Engineer in Public Works. In this role, he oversaw the Stormwater and Streets divisions, managed federal grants to improve drainage basins, designed and engineered city projects, reviewed community development plans and requests, and led staff through preparation and recovery efforts in the wake of tropical activity, hurricanes and snow.  

“Mr. Chiles has substantial experience in planning, implementation, and management of public projects within our community, and he’s done an excellent job leading our Public Works Department in this time of transition,” said Foster Hughes, City Manager. “He has proven his ability to work with other city departments and the community to address concerns, evaluate options, and improve the effectiveness of our infrastructure. He is a valuable asset to the City.”

Previously, Mr. Chiles worked for several years in the private sector as a project manager. Upon graduating with his bachelor’s degree in Finance from Coker College in South Carolina, he spent time working in the insurance and construction industries. He is also a licensed North Carolina Stormwater Control Measures (SCM) Inspector.  

As director, Mr. Chiles will be responsible for oversight and operations of 7 divisions within Public Works: Administration, Facilities, Garage, Insurance, Solid Waste, Stormwater, and Streets. The department is comprised of 51 staff and has an annual budget of approximately $10.9 million.

Mr. Chiles’ promotion was effective December 11th. His annual salary will be $123,334.                          

Original source can be found here.