Ayden’s Stephen Smith, checking out sites at the new Montevallo subdivision here, is a man of many talents for the town, currently serving as planning and public works director. He recently was named assistant town manager.
Spotlight on Stephen Smith
Ayden’s planner helps growth move in the right direction By Donna Marie Williams
Planning and public works director Stephen Smith has proudly served the town of Ayden for eight years. His dedication, hard work and passion for his job have shone through, earning him a new title of assistant town manager. Smith began his career with the town in 2014 starting as the community and economic development planner. When the town hired economic developer Mallory
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Denham, Smith’s role shifted solely to planning director. Having earned his bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning from East Carolina University, Smith accumulated years of experience prior to joining Ayden’s planning department. He had worked in the private sector as a consultant with the Wooten Company, worked with a private engineering firm overseeing floodplain management and had a background working with local government planning since June 1997.
“I was looking to get back into local government and I was still living here. My family love the area … I saw the opening and applied and been here ever since,” Smith said, adding he was originally from New Bern before moving to Greenville.
GROWING RESPONSIBILITIES As planning director, Smith oversees the town’s planning department, which directs zoning and all issues related to
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land development. “I’m pretty much responsible for reviewing subdivisions, the town’s UDO (unified development ordinance), the town’s land use plan, overseeing the code enforcement activities, stormwater … really anything land development-related kind of funnels through the planning department,” Smith said. In September 2021, Smith was given more responsibility when he was asked by Ayden’s Board of Commissioners to serve as the interim public works director when
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