Steven Hicks to start as Front Royal Town Manager on December 7th, 2020

Steven Hicks – New Front Royal Town Manager

The Front Royal Town Council is proud to announce the selection of Steven Hicks as the new Town Manager. Hicks will assume the position Monday, December 7th.

Mayor Eugene Tewalt stated, “I know I speak for Council that we could not be more pleased to have Steven serve as our Town Manager and thankful for Matt who filled in as Interim during our Town Manager search.”

Vice-Mayor Bill Sealock said, “Finding the right candidate took longer than we expected. The Council knew what they wanted in a manager and was patient to find the right Town Manager for our community. I believe our efforts have paid off by having the best candidate possible. I’m excited to see what Steven will bring to our Town government, businesses, and community.” Mayor-elect, Chris Holloway commented, “Hicks was selected because of his impressive leadership in operations, bringing business in communities, developing fiscally conservative budgets, managing enterprise departments, and delivering complex infrastructure projects on-time and on-budget.”

“I am honored and appreciate the confidence the Front Royal Town Council has in me to lead and be part of a great organization,” said Hicks. “My daughters are excited to become part of the community while they go to college and for me to be part of the Front Royal team to serve the citizens and businesses.”

Hicks has over 25 years of state and local government experience. He was previously the Town Manager of Selma, NC that provided a full range of services including Solid Waste, Water, Sewer, and Electric, as well as Police and Fire. During Hicks tenure, he was able to develop a transparent operational budget and manage the Town’s enterprise funds delivering positive operating revenue. As part of the budget process, Hicks was able to establish Selma’s first-ever 5-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) with major emphasis in addressing groundwater and stormwater (I&I) that enters into the Town’s sewer system for treatment. Hicks also partnered with Eastfield Crossing Developers and Duke Energy to amend the 400-acre mixed-used development and incentive agreement to increase the Town’s tax base and create 3,100 jobs.

Prior to that position, Hicks was the General Services Director for the City of Durham, NC. He created the Division of Arts, Culture, and Sustainable Communities to cover the social, economic, and environmental wellbeing to empower citizens to advance equity, inclusion, and equal access to opportunities and services. While serving as a Director, he was responsible for a $300 million infrastructure program that included capital investments for parking garages, two fire stations, parks, and a new police headquarters and emergency communication center. He also worked in Virginia as the Petersburg’s Public Works and Utility Director, Acting Assistant James City County Administrator, and Williamsburg Resident Engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

While in James City County, Hicks had an impressive record with the business community where he oversaw the Planning and Development Services. He established a business-friendly “One-Stop-Shop” where citizens and the development community were able to get administrative site plan approval within one-business-day.

“I understand the frustration, time, and money it takes to accomplish a home improvement project or a straightforward development. The business-friendly approach I delivered ensured the County’s approval process did not outsmart common sense and expedited approvals for the citizens and business community who expected and deserved it,” says Hicks.

Hicks has a Master of Science Degree in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering (USE) from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Urban Studies from Virginia  Commonwealth University. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia Darden School Senior Executive Institute, the University of North Carolina School of Government Municipal and County Administration, and the Virginia Tech Transportation Construction Management Institute. He served as the Commissioner of North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency, Triangle East Chamber of Commerce Board of Director, and Uptown Selma Business Partnership Board Director. He is a member of the International City Management Association and North Carolina League of Municipalities. Hicks was a former member of the Virginia Municipal League.

Matt Tederick began working as the Interim Town Manager in November 2019. Matt has agreed to assist Steven as part of the transition. Tederick concluded, “To date, I have had a very limited time getting to know Steven, but this much I have already observed, he appears to be the perfect selection for our Town. Well done Town Council.”