Furtado named County Manager beginning July 1

News-Topic, Lenoir, N.C.
·2 min read

May 3—HICKORY — Catawba County hired from within for its next county manager, promoting Mary Furtado.

The Catawba County Board of Commissioners selected Furtado to serve as county manager beginning Friday, July 1, following the retirement of current County Manager Mick Berry. The announcement was made by board Chairman Randy Isenhower following a closed-session meeting of the commissioners on Monday, May 2.

Furtado was selected through a competitive application process.

Furtado, who currently serves as deputy county manager, has worked for Catawba County since 2011. Furtado is responsible for driving implementation of the commissioners' successful strategic plan by facilitating collaborative efforts among County departments and municipal and community partners. She plays a critical role in supervising the development of the county's annual budget in alignment with the commissioners' objectives and community values and has overseen nearly all County departments.

"Mary's keen strategic acumen, collaborative mindset and extensive knowledge of county operations make her an ideal fit to become the next county manager," said Isenhower. "Mary has demonstrated significant leadership during her tenure with the county, and her long-term vision for the community aligns closely with the board's focus on continued economic growth and enhanced quality of life. On behalf of the entire board, we are looking forward working with Mary in this new capacity."

"I'm humbled by the opportunity to serve Catawba County's citizens from this new role," said Furtado. "I appreciate the Board of Commissioners' leadership and confidence in me and look forward to working with them, our team of dedicated Catawba County employees, and our community-wide partners to continue building our strong quality of life together."

Prior to joining the Catawba County team, Furtado worked in various roles for Sarasota County Government from 2004 to 2011, most recently as executive director of Strategic Operations. During her tenure in Florida, Furtado spearheaded efforts to reduce expenditures by more than $19 million during the recession, which included implementation of organizational improvement strategies and leadership of a mission-critical hiring process during the county's hiring freeze. She also served as the county's Public Works strategic planner and Fiscal Planning Policy/Program consultant after completing a post-graduate fellowship there through the International City/County Management Association.

Furtado was named 2021 Deputy/Assistant County Manager of the Year by the North Carolina City/County Management Association and is an alumna of the Public Executive Leadership Academy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received a Masters of Public Administration with an emphasis in Program/Policy Analysis from Arizona State University, Tempe, and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Philosophy from Hamilton College. Furtado resides in Hickory with her husband and two sons.