The Town of Waxhaw has hired Jeffrey Wells, AICP, CZO, to serve as the new Town Manager.
Prior to joining the Town of Waxhaw staff as Planning Director in March 2019, Wells served as the Town Manager for the Town of Mills River in North Carolina. He brings to the role 20 years of experience in town planning, zoning, and leadership. Wells moved to Waxhaw in 2019 with his wife, Rebecca, and their children, Zane and Courtney. “When I first visited Waxhaw a little over a year ago,” Wells said, “I knew within 10 minutes of driving around that this was the place I wanted to be. Waxhaw is a wonderful community filled with wonderful people.”
During his time as Planning Director for the Town of Waxhaw, Wells built the Planning department as it moved out of Development Services into its own department. He engaged openly with the community over the last year through public input sessions and town-wide surveys, getting to know the direct needs of residents. In doing so, he has built strong relationships with town staff and the newly elected Board of Commissioners.
“I want to thank the Board of Commissioners for their faith and confidence in me. It is an honor and a privilege to serve as the Town Manager. The staff that we have in place is the most professional and dedicated that I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I greatly look forward to working with Board and staff to accomplish our vision,” Wells said of his new role.
Waxhaw Mayor Ron Pappas echoed these sentiments. “The Board and I feel that Jeff is an excellent fit for this role,” said Mayor Pappas. “He brings valuable experience, is extremely positive, and has proven to be a valued leader for the town.”
Wells’ first challenge as Town Manager will be to lead the Waxhaw community through the COVID-19 outbreak. He offered these words on Waxhaw’s continued strength through this time:
“First and foremost, we must get past these trying times in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. I know this situation puts a lot of stress on everyone, and this situation will continue to remain fluid for the foreseeable future. But we will come out stronger once this subsides. We will continue to operate and provide customer service as best we can in a responsible manner using guidance from the state, county, and our own expertise.”
Jeffrey Wells begins his new role as Town Manager for Waxhaw on March 31st, 2020. Wells was officially appointed as Town Manager at the Board of Commissioners meeting in Town Creek Park on March 31st, which was live-streamed on the Town of Waxhaw YouTube channel.
