Madison County introduces new interim county manager Rod Honeycutt

MARSHALL - While the Madison County Board of Commissioners met to swear in newly elected members Jeremy Hensley, Alan Wyatt and Bill Briggs on Dec. 5, the three new board members were not the only new county government officials introduced at the meeting.

The board's new chair, Matt Wechtel, introduced the new interim county manager, Rod Honeycutt, an Alexander resident and a NC-11 congressional candidate in the May primary.

"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 seven 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."

Honeycutt served 37 years in the Army as a logistician before retiring in July 2021. Honeycutt served combat tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

Honeycutt served as a logistician in the Army, 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.

The interim county manager position marks Honeycutt's first time working in county government.

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.

Honeycutt has been married to his wife, Lisa, for 37 years.

"She's a (North Buncombe High) Blackhawk," Honeycutt said. "I married a Blackhawk, and I'm a Warrior out of Erwin."

The couple's three sons - Noah, 22, Gavin, 21 and Josh, 19, all graduated from North Buncombe High School. Noah is following in his father's footsteps and is serving as a liutenant in the Army, while Gavin is working as a policeman at Western Carolina, where his younger brother Josh attends school.

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.

"I got to meet county commissioners and county leaders from all 15 counties (in the 11th congressional district)," Honeycutt said. "When the county commissioners reached out and said, 'Hey, would you be interested? We'd like to know your thoughts on it,' and I said, 'Absolutely.'"

"They've made it pretty clear that this is an interim position, and that if I'm interested, I'll have to be like every other applicant and fill out the required paperwork and get in line and compete."

Honeycutt said he plans to take a 30-day period working in the new role to assess whether he plans to apply for the position.

"Just so you know as well, we will have a bonafide application process," Wechtel told attendees at the Dec. 5 meeting. "We will interview, and we'll have a bonafide review process for everyon who wants to apply. Rod is more than welcome to apply for that job. We will go through a proper process and make sure, but in the meantime, Rod is our man to hold everything down and hold everything together. I think everybody will find a true and proven leader, and will provide great leadership to Madison County in the interim."

Goals for his tenure

According to Honeycutt's congressional campaign website, he ran on a five-part platform of "pro life, national defense, 2nd Amendment, the economy and veterans."

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."

County's plans for the position

Wechtel said while the board does not have a set timeline for filling the position, finding the right person for the job is the county's top priority.

"We're going to be very deliberate, but we don't want to set an unrealistic deadline or feel forced to hire someone just for the sake of hiring someone," he said.

Former Interim County Manager Norris Gentry submitted his resignation effective Dec. 5, according to Commissioner Michael Garrison, the board's new vice chair.

Gentry will stay on through Dec. 9 to assist Honeycutt in the transition, according to the board's new chair, Matt Wechtel.

"We appreciate Norris for being willing to do that, just to kind of try to hit the spots and go from there," Wechtel said.

The Dec. 21 edition of The News-Record & Sentinel will feature a look back at former interim county manager Norris Gentry's tenure, as well as a look at Gentry being honored at the Land of Sky Regional Council 2022 Leadership Awards.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Madison introduces new interim county manager Rod Honeycutt