Former basketball star Clarence Grier will succeed Sherman Stovall as Roanoke’s Deputy City Manager in June.
Roanoke Deputy City Manager Clarence Grier
Former basketball star Clarence Grier has emerged from a crowded field to succeed Sherman Stovall as Roanoke’s Deputy City Manager. Stovall retires in June.
Grier, who moves to Roanoke from Guilford County, N.C., where he was Deputy County Manager, supervising nine departments, has a broad educational background. He is a CPA, a Chartered Global Management Accountant and a Certified Information Technology Professional.
Grier, who graduated from Campbell University in North Carolina, has family in Roanoke and worked in the Star City more than 30 years ago in his first job. As a senior at Campbell, he was drafted by the Houston Rockets of the NBA in 1987.
His local government experience includes service as Assistant County Manager-Chief Finance Officer for Orange County, N.C. (2009- 2015); and as Director of Finance for the Greensboro Housing Authority (2008- 2009). With Guilford County his responsibilities included everything from animal services to purchasing, risk management and emergency services, among others.
City Manager Bob Cowell says, “Finding someone to carry on the incredible work of Sherman Stovall was no easy task. After receiving well over 100 applications and interviewing six highly qualified professionals, I feel very fortunate to have found someone of Clarence's caliber, available and interested in joining our team.
“Clarence's long tenure in public service, deep understanding of public budgeting and financing, and stellar reputation helped him stand out above all the other candidates. I am thrilled we were able to secure someone who I believe will serve the residents of Roanoke well for many years, just as Sherman has done all these past years.”
About the Writer:
Dan Smith is an award-winning Roanoke-based writer/author/photographer and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame (Class of 2010). His blog, fromtheeditr.com, is widely read and he has authored seven books, including the novel CLOG! He is founding editor of a Roanoke-based business magazine and a former Virginia Small Business Journalist of the Year (2005).