Former Greenbelt Analyst Hired as Deputy City Manager of Durham, NC

It was news, but no shock, to City Manager Michael McLaughlin when he heard that Greenbelt's former intern turned management analyst had been hired as new deputy city manager for Durham, NC.

"He was outstanding," McLaughlin said, "That's terrific news."

Reaching back more than a decade, McLaughlin had no trouble recalling details about William Bowman "Bo" Ferguson. Greenbelt was fortunate enough to get him as an intern while he was getting his master's degree at the University of Kansas in public administration, McLaughlin said.

Afterward, he stayed on a couple of years, McLaughlin added, saying he was impressed by Ferguson's analytical abilities and familiarity with technology.

"He was an incredible self-starter," McLaughlin recalled.

Ferguson will leave his post as Hendersonville City Manager at the end of December to join the City of Durham in January, according to the The Durham News.

He will lead the operations team, which encompasses deparments that deliver day-to-day government services, including fire, parks and recreation, police, public works, waste and water management, according to the Herald Sun.

Ferguson has 16 years experience in local government, according to the Durham News, a career that had early beginnings in Greenbelt, MD.

"He really has a good handle on government, government function, government operations and policy making," McLaughlin said.