Dakisha “DK” Wesley, one of Buncombe County’s assistant county managers, will be Asheville’s next city manager.
The announcement comes after former city manager Debra Campbell announced her retirement to the Asheville City Council in early February.
Wesley was unanimously appointed to the role during a Dec. 5 virtual special City Council meeting following a nationwide search that included more than 50 applicants.
“This city (Asheville) is a place of creativity, kindness, and uncommon resilience,” Wesley said during the meeting. “It is a place defined not only by its natural beauty, but by the people who call Asheville home. People who care deeply for one another, who show up for their neighbors, and who know that working together all things are possible and work together we will.”
Wesley, who is slated to start on Jan.12, has worked for the county for six years. She will take over for Campbell, who held the role for the past seven years. Assistant city manager Ben Woody will serve as interim city manager during the transition, according to a city press release issued Dec. 5.
"City manager Wesley’s six and a half years with Buncombe County strengthen an important relationship with the city’s largest regional partner, as well as bringing a deep knowledge of our community, which means she can hit the ground running,” said Mayor Esther Manheimer in a press release.
She previously served as the assistant county administrator for Lake County, Illinois and before that, as a municipal court services assistant director for the city of Fort Worth, Texas.
Her husband, Ardemis Wesley Jr., pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of gambling. A North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement agent cited more than a dozen people last year with placing bets at an illegal gambling house in East Asheville, according to the Citizen Times.
