New Era for Mecklenburg County: Mike Bryant Sworn in as County Manager
New Mecklenburg County Manager Mike Bryant was sworn into office on Monday, June 30 in a ceremony before the Board of County Commissioners, County employees, and the public.
In his role as County manager, Bryant will provide leadership for County departments and agencies that serve more than 1.2 million Mecklenburg County residents. He will be responsible for drafting an annual budget— currently more than $2.5 billion—and carrying out the priorities and initiatives of the Board of County Commissioners. Bryant brings more than 30 years of public service experience to the role, including the past five years as deputy county manager.
Before his family and the entire Charlotte-Mecklenburg community, Bryant swore the oath of office in the meeting chamber of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center. The oath was administered by Kristine M. Smith, Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners.
"I assume this role with great honor, appreciation, gratitude, and humility. I am committed to doing what is necessary to ensure that we as a county are successful in improving the lives of our residents and our entire community,” said County Manager Mike Bryant in his remarks. “As your new County manager, I pledge to approach the work using the ABCs of leadership rooted in accountability, balance, collaboration, and data, with a strong emphasis on ethics, fortitude, grit, high standards, and a commitment to performance management."
The swearing-in ceremony also featured an invocation by Reverend Dr. Clifford A. Jones, Sr. of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church; spoken performance by Jay Ward, Charlotte poet Laureate; musical performance by Shemaine Fox-Pickens; presentation of the President’s Award of Excellence by Nikki Davis Green, president of the N.C. Central University Alumni Association; and the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard.
Watch Ceremony (English) | Watch Ceremony (Español)
Bryant joined the County in 2003 as a management and budget analyst. He was promoted to director of the Office of Management and Budget in 2014 and deputy County manager in 2020. In that role, Bryant was responsible for financial services and internal support. Prior to joining the County, Bryant worked for the City of Durham, Duke University, Granville County, and the North Carolina Office of the Governor.
The Board of County Commissioners announced Bryant’s appointment as County manager on April 1. He succeeds Dena R. Diorio, who is retiring after more than 11 years as County manager.
"Mike Bryant has the unique ability to be resourceful, collaborative, and innovative in his ability to implement our organization’s vision and goals. Regardless of role, position, or title, he has always been team-oriented, collaborative, approachable, and selfless," said Mark Jerrell, Chair of the Board of County Commissioners.
"The Board believes that having Mike Bryant as our next County manager will allow for a seamless transition, especially given his extensive leadership experience, his knowledge of our community, and his 30-plus years of public service. As an organization, we welcome the opportunity for Mike to implement the will of our Board in a manner that will yield impactful, transformative, and innovative results."
Bryant’s major initiatives will include:
- Collaborating with the Mecklenburg County Commissioners to work toward achieving the Board priorities of:
- Health Equity and Wellness.
- Education.
- Services for Seniors.
- Workforce Development.
- Environmental Stewardship.
- Economic Development.
- Reducing Racial Disparities (Cross-cutting across priorities).
- Building on existing relationships with partners such as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the City of Charlotte, the six Mecklenburg County towns and Central Piedmont Community College to develop a regional approach to responding to community issues, such as affordable housing and transportation.
- Leveraging his extensive budgetary and finance experience to ensure the County remains a resilient organization that continues to meet the needs of all residents.
- Spending time actively listening to key community stakeholders, the private sector and philanthropic organizations.
- Facilitating a deep-dive analysis of County services to identify resources that can be repurposed to improve efficiencies and support more pressing community needs.
In his remarks, Bryant paid tribute to retiring County Manager Dena R. Diorio, and her predecessor, the late Harry L. Jones Sr., under whom Bryant began working with Mecklenburg County in 2003.
"Over the years we have accomplished a lot as a County, and at the same time, we have also encountered our fair share of obstacles, which has led us to seize opportunities," said Bryant. "I’m a firm believer that the only way to achieve the pinnacle of our shared successes is through collaboration, and in this role, I will lead with that. Great work lies ahead, and I am confident our community will all rise to the occasion."
Bryant holds a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Public Administration degree from North Carolina Central University. He has served in numerous professional and community leadership roles including past president of the Government Finance Officers Association, the MEDIC Board of Commissioners and North Carolina Central University’s Board of Visitors.