City Manager Tom Bonfield has named Garaland Keith Chadwell as the new deputy city manager for Community Building.

Community Building, while not a new area of focus for the City, officially links departments that directly perform "outreach services" such as planning, building, enhancing city neighborhoods and economic development, Bonfield said. "Keith's breadth of experience uniquely made him the best fit for the position at this time. While he has worked in the areas that he will oversee, he also understands how each department works collaboratively to support the community. That experience is vital, not just for the community, but also the work of other City departments."

Chadwell will lead the following departments: Durham City/County Planning; Durham City/County Inspections; Human Relations; Community Development; Neighborhood Improvement Services; and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development.

Chadwell comes to the City of Durham with more than 25 years of experience in state and local government, most recently as the city manager with the City of Pompano Beach, Fla. Prior to this position, Chadwell was the deputy county manager of Community Services with the Fulton County Government in Atlanta, Ga.; chief operating officer for the Government of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C.; and regional director of the Virginia Department of Social Services in Virginia Beach, Va.

Chadwell holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Mass Communications from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga. as well as a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. He will join the City in mid-September.