Honeycutt, a former NC-11 congressional candidate, established as Madison county manager
MARSHALL - When The News-Record spoke with Rod Honeycutt in December 2022 after being named Madison County's interim county manager, Honeycutt said he planned to take some time working in the new role to assess whether he wished to stay and apply for the position.
A little less than two months later, Honeycutt made the decision to remain in the role and was sworn in as the county manager Feb. 21 at the Madison County Courthouse in Marshall.
Norris Gentry, who also served as a county commissioner, assumed the role of interim county manager in July 2020 but was never assigned the official title, holding the "interim" tag throughout his tenure.
"I'm grateful to be a part of the Madison County community," said Honeycutt, an Alexander resident. "As the oath states, 'I will well and truly execute the duties of office of the county manager according to the best of my skill ability.'"
Honeycutt identified establishing a working partnership with the commissioners as a main goal during his time as interim county manager.
"I think right now it's just understanding the vision of the county commissioners and getting their mission set, as well as what they want to get accomplished, and achieving that," Honeycutt. "(Other goals include) being a good steward of all the taxpayers' resources and their time. I'm just proud to be on the team right now."
Madison County BOC Chair Matt Wechtel said the county was "fortunate to have some strong candidates" in the county manager pool.
"Ultimately, we are grateful and excited to have the opportunity to hire someone with such a distinguished history of service to our country and the exemplary leadership qualities as Colonel Rod Honeycutt," Wechtel said.
Honeycutt was sworn in by Superior Court Judge Ted McEntire and was joined by his wife, Lisa, and the couple's three sons - Noah, 22, Gavin, 21 and Josh, 19.
Background
Honeycutt graduated from Erwin High School. He joined the Army following graduation and went on to earn his undergraduate degree from University of South Carolina, and later earned a master's degree in logistics from Florida Institute of Technology.
He served 37 years in the Army, including time as a logistician, managing at the strategic, operational and tactical level in the government. Most recently, Honeycutt's work included advising Congress in the U.S. involvement in NATO, and the nation's defense and deterrence against Russia, he said.
"(As a county manager), where I can leverage my background is in installation management," Honeycutt said. "I was managing installations as part of a team that's responsible for the health and welfare of all the soldiers and their dependents, across all the services - everything from the electrical grid, water, emergency management and education systems. So, it's kind of the same thing, but a different outset this time working for five county commissioners."
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, logisticians analyze and coordinate an organization’s supply chain—the system that moves a product from supplier to consumer. They manage the entire life cycle of a product, which includes how a product is acquired, allocated, and delivered.
Honeycutt also was an 11th District congressional candidate in the May primary.
Honeycutt said members of the Madison County Board of Commissioners reached out to him about serving as interim county manager while on a meet-and-greet in Madison during his campaign.
"It's good to be home," Honeycutt said in his introduction Dec. 5. "I want to thank each of the commissioners for taking the time and opportunity to give this to me. If you're a Lewis, a Buckner or a Rice, we're probably kin. My mom's family comes off of Walnut, so this is home. I live 7 miles from this (North Carolina Cooperative Extension Center in Marshall) room, so I'm dedicated to the men and women of this county. I'll do my best every day, and I'm looking forward to integrating into the community."
Johnny Casey is the Madison County community reporter for The News-Record & Sentinel. Reach him at jcasey@newsrecordandsentinel.com. For more news about Madison County, consider a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Rod Honeycutt 'grateful' to be established as Madison county manager
