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Tony Sears joined the city as Deputy City Manager in August 2021. Prior to joining the city, Tony served as City Manager in Kinston for nearly 10 years. He has 18 years of experience as city manager in several North Carolina communities and has dedicated much of his career to managing large capital and planning projects, including the Randleman Dam, a regional water treatment facility, and the African American Music Park in Kinston, part of the African American Music Trail.

Tony has extensive experience in the development and implementation of capital improvement plans for multiple enterprise funds, including water, sewer, street resurfacing and stadium upgrades. He was part of the leadership group that brought the Kinston Wood Ducks, part of the Texas Rangers franchise, to Historic Grainger Stadium in Kinston.

Sears is a native of Apex, N.C., and earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in public administration from Appalachian State University. He has completed both the Municipal Administration Course and the Public Executive Leadership Academy from the UNC School of Government, as well as the Harvard Senior Executive in State and Local Government program. He is a member of the North Carolina City/County Management Association and the International City/Council Management Association. He serves on the ElectriCities Board of Directors and North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency Board of Commissioners. Sears was named a Main Street Champion in 2019 and the Kinston/Lenoir Young Professional of the Year in 2014.