County Manager
Mailing Address: 230 Government Center Drive, Suite 195
Phone: (910) 798-7184
Fax: (910) 798-7277
View New Hanover County’s Organizational Chart here.
Chris Coudriet
New Hanover County Manager Chris Coudriet serves as Chief Administrator of county government and maintains responsibility for administering all departments under the general control of the five-member Board of Commissioners.
The county manager’s work includes the development of the county’s annual budget. The budget is the policy document, financial plan, and operations guide and communications device of county government. The multi-fund budget of $398 million for fiscal year 2019-2020 reflects the county’s response to the needs of its 233,000 residents and their requests for services.
In addition, the manager and his executive leadership team are responsible for aligning the operations of the county to the adopted strategic plan and advancing the county’s mission and vision through five key focus areas: superior public health, safety and education, intelligent growth and economic development, productive strategic partnerships, strong financial performance, and effective county management.
Mr. Coudriet has served as the County Manager since July 2012. Prior to his appointment, he served as Assistant County Manager for New Hanover County for four years and as county manager in Franklin and Washington counties, N.C.
Coudriet has twenty-five years of public administration experience, with fifteen years as a county manager or assistant county manager in North Carolina. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from East Carolina University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
In 2019, Coudriet received District Attorney Ben David’s 2019 Service Before Self Award in recognition of his service in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence and in 2018, he was awarded the Cape Fear Council of Governments Outstanding Local Government Manager.
Coudriet is a member of the National Association of Counties’ (NACo) Healthy Counties Initiative Advisory Board and International Economic Development Task Force, and is vice chair of the Resilient Counties Advisory Board. He is also a member of NACo’s Health Steering Committee and is vice chair of its Subcommittee on Medicaid and Indigent Care. In addition, he serves on UNCW’s Masters of Public Administration (MPA) Advisory Board.
He is a native of eastern North Carolina. Chris and along with his wife, Leigh, and two children Montgomery, and Silas, reside in Wilmington.
Tim Burgess
Tim Burgess began serving as an assistant county manager for New Hanover County in July 2012 and became deputy county manager in June 2019. In his role as deputy county manager, Tim oversees the functions services of Building Safety, Emergency Management, Engineering, Environmental Management, Facilities Management, Fire Rescue, Information Technology, Planning and Land Use, and 911 Communications.
Prior to coming to New Hanover County, Tim served as the assistant county manager for Alamance County, town manager for the Town of Wendell, and practiced criminal and family law in Montgomery, AL.
Tim earned a Juris Doctor from Faulkner University, and a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Campbell University. He resides in Wilmington with his wife Joy and has a daughter Emily Adair who is a student at Auburn University.
Tufanna Bradley
Tufanna Bradley began her role as an assistant county manager on August 27, 2019. She previously served as the county’s Community Affairs Coordinator and, prior to that, worked for New Hanover County Schools and as a director for several nonprofit organizations.
During her first year as an assistant county manager, Tufanna led the Parks & Gardens Department, NC Cooperative Extension & Arboretum, Public Library, Cape Fear Museum, Soil & Water Conservation District, and Board of Elections. Beginning August 25, 2020, she transitioned into overseeing the county’s health and human services departments, including the consolidated Health and Human Services agency (which includes Public Health and Social Services), Senior Resource Center, Community Justice Services, and Veteran Services. She also serves as a liaison with the court system and Trillium Health Resources, both of which receive funding from the county.
Tufanna has an affinity for working with, and for, the community to address and solve issues that impact residents. She has a passion and ability to build and maintain strong partnerships that serves New Hanover County well. She has worked in public service for almost 20 years in the nonprofit, education and government sectors; and has a bachelor’s degree in Communications with a minor in Sociology from East Carolina University, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from UNCW.
Sheryl Kelly
Sheryl Kelly began her role as assistant county manager on August 25, 2020. She previously served as the county’s budget officer beginning in 2018, and brings two decades of experience in budget and policy work to the position.
She oversees the county’s Board of Elections, Cape Fear Museum, NC Cooperative Extension & Arboretum, Parks & Gardens Department, Public Library, Recovery & Resilience Department, Soil & Water Conservation District, and Tax Office.
Sheryl has a passion for helping others understand processes and formulate strategies, as well as supporting talented and passionate teams. And her knowledge and skills will help ensure the responsible use of our county’s natural resources in a sustainable way.
Prior to joining the county’s team, Kelly was a Budget Advisor for the U.S. Department of the Treasury for ten years. She has also worked for the NC Office of State Budget and Management, NC Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, and RTI International. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in Economics and Business Administration, and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management from Duke University.
Susan Wynn
Tim Buckland