GREENVILLE, N.C. - Greenville City Manager Barbara Lipscomb has announced her plans to retire, notifying the Greenville City Council during its meeting on Thursday, January 12. Lipscomb's last day with the City will be August 31, 2017.

The City Council accepted Lipscomb's retirement letter and approved a contract with Slavin Management Consultants to conduct a national search for the next City Manager. In order to allow for a transition period for City Council as it searches for and appoints a new City Manager, Lipscomb will accept a position as Special Projects Manager when a new City Manager is appointed until her retirement date.

"It is with mixed feelings that I announce my upcoming retirement," Lipscomb said. "When I interviewed in Greenville, I was advised that the Council was looking for someone who could bring meaningful change to the community. I have sincerely tried to meet the challenge and hope that the community is pleased with the progress that has been made and the programs and projects that are forthcoming. I am very thankful that I received the opportunity to work toward actualizing Greenville's potential and serving the residents, businesses, and visitors of this community."

Lipscomb's retirement will close out a professional career that began in 1975. Throughout her career, Lipscomb has worked in the public sector as a planner and administrative services officer, assistant city manager, deputy city manager, and city manager in communities such as Grand Rapids, Michigan; Lakeland, Florida; Gainesville, Florida; Casselberry, Florida, and Greenville. Her career also included professional marketing with a Fortune 500 company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Lipscomb arrived in Greenville in 2012. In addition to guiding the day-to-day operations of the City, Lipscomb has been instrumental in planning for Greenville's current and future growth including the implementation of a Facilities Improvement Plan for maintenance projects for all City building and facilities and the coordination of a voter-approved transportation improvements bond in 2015 that included more than $15 million in street and pedestrian transportation improvements. Other projects and plans that Lipscomb has overseen include a new Fire/Rescue training facility and Emergency Operations Center, the Fourth Street parking garage, police substations, the renovation of the South Greenville Recreation Center, the development of the Tar River Legacy Plan and the Horizons Comprehensive Plan update, the opening of the Dream Park, and the opening of the Town Common Inclusive Playground. The Greenville Transportation Activity Center, for which the City broke ground in November, and the Town Creek Culvert project planned for the coming years are also two examples of nearly $547 million in completed or ongoing investment in the center city area.

Throughout her career, Lipscomb has played a vital role in the implementation of many other projects that built the tax base and improved the quality of life in the communities she served. Among them were new and refurbished parks, community centers, convention centers; new airport hangars, commerce and industrial parks; new and redeveloped retail spaces in downtowns and suburbs; renovations of existing housing and construction of new homes; new and upgraded streets as well as parkway and interstate funding campaigns; transportation facility construction projects; rehabilitation and/or new construction of various utilities facilities; as well as other quality-of-life initiatives related to public safety and emergency services; job creation, retention and expansion for regular employment and innovation economy projects; projects and programs to expand appreciation of the arts; and efforts to expand public and private mass transit including commuter rail.

Additionally, Lipscomb has led efforts to develop leadership and train employees as well as improve pay, benefits, and working conditions in the cities where she has worked.

"Looking back to when I started my career, I never would have dreamed that I would be a part of positively touching the lives of so many people in so many communities," Lipscomb said.