'Fiscal responsibility and transparency': Buncombe County hires new finance director

ASHEVILLE - After a nationwide search, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners named Melissa Moore as the new finance director for Buncombe County.

In a Sept. 8 news release, Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder said Moore's hiring comes as the county continues to focus on transparency.

"Melissa’s public and private experience as well as her interpersonal skills made her stand out," Pinder said in the news release. “Finance director is a critical member of our team. Over the past four years, we’ve been intentionally focusing on fiscal responsibility and transparency. This position plays an integral role in helping us continue that objective.”

Replacing interim finance director Mason Scott, Moore will begin the position on Sept. 18.

Scott was chosen to temporarily take over the role after previous finance director, Don Warn, left the position to become the chief financial officer of Guilford County in February. Warn had entered the position in 2018.

Prior to being hired, Moore had served as the finance director of Pflugerville, Texas, since 2020.

Moore will be the director of the Buncombe County Finance Department, which oversees the $610 million fiscal year 2024 budget. The finance director is a dual-report position, where the Board of Commissioners is responsible for the hiring and firing of finance directors, while the county manager oversees day-to-day operations.

Moore’s hiring comes as disgraced former County Manager Wanda Greene continues to face legal trouble. A tentative trial date of Dec. 4 has been set for Buncombe County’s lawsuit against Greene, where the county is alleging Greene made fraudulent asset transfers to family after refusing to pay a $419,372 debt owed to the county from a separate lawsuit.

Greene had worked as county manager for nearly two decades before an investigation found she had been using her position to receive bribes and kickbacks. In 2019, Greene pleaded guilty to two counts of federal programs fraud, one count of making and subscribing a federal tax return and one count of receiving kickbacks and bribes.

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Moore’s salary will be $172,577 according to Buncombe County spokesperson Kassi Day. Moore’s salary is the maximum a finance director can currently receive under the 2023 Fiscal Year classification and compensation plan approved by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners.

The previous finance director, Don Warn, had a salary set at $161,785, according to a public records request.

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Moore brings more than 20 years of fiscal experience with her, most recently serving as the finance director of Pflugerville, Texas. Moore said she was excited for the opportunity to move to Buncombe.

“The finance role is very important to members of the community to keep everyone informed of the financial performance of Buncombe County. As a taxpayer, you should be able to find information that tells you how your tax dollars are working to provide services and programs for the community,” Moore said in the news release.

“This represents an opportunity to relocate to the East Coast, grow my career by serving in a larger organization, and join a brilliant leadership team. Having a seat at the table with leadership that has demonstrated perseverance, integrity, and service is a very exciting place to be,” Moore said.

In an email with the Citizen Times, Buncombe County Commissioner Terri Wells said that Moore's "ability to communicate complex financial topics in a clear and easily accessible manner" will help with Buncombe's commitment to transparency.

"We have a talented finance team, and I look forward to seeing their continued growth and development with Ms. Moore's leadership. Ms. Moore exhibits a depth and breadth of experience that will serve Buncombe County well, and one thing that really stood out was her ability to communicate complex financial topics in a clear and easily accessible manner," Wells said in the email.

"I appreciate this strength, and it will serve us well in continuing our commitment to transparency."

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Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Buncombe County names new finance director focuses on transparency