After more than 25 years of service, Bob Haynes is retiring from his position as Director of Permits & Inspections for Buncombe County. Born and raised in Buncombe County, Haynes graduated from Enka High School before joining the Marines as a combat engineer. After his military service, he completed the NC Electrical Apprenticeship program and worked as an unlimited licensed electrical contractor.
Haynes began his career with Buncombe County in 1998 as an electrical inspector and later obtained level III inspection certification for Plumbing, Electric, Mechanical, Building, and Fire Prevention. Before becoming Director, he served as Commercial Plan Reviewer and Assistant Director. During his tenure, Haynes was active in the NC Building Inspectors Association, including serving as President.
Assistant Director Jason Rogers will step into the role of Director next week. Rogers commented on their time working together: “Bob and I have worked together for more than ten years,” says Jason. Throughout their years together they have worked on some complex jobs and facilities. “The best part of it all is that Bob and I have become really good friends and close as a work family. Bob will be missed every day, especially in the early mornings when the day starts and no one else is around. This is the time that the fun and the sharing of life takes place.”
Reflecting on his career, Haynes said: “I am just so grateful for the experiences over the last 25 years with the county, I have had the opportunity to work with some great people and made some lifelong friends. It has been a struggle at times, however it has always been a positive light in my life.” He also spoke about challenging moments such as those following Helene: “It was a struggle in many aspects, however it brought us closer as a community and being able to help people was the positive light.” The department received recognition from the North Carolina Building Inspectors Association during Haynes’ tenure; Buncombe County Permits & Inspections was named Jurisdiction of the Year for its dedication and professionalism.
Haynes plans to spend more time with his family and pursue hunting and fishing after retirement. When asked about his favorite memory from his career he replied: “I will never forget all the county employees, friendships, and all the ups and downs an organization can experience,” says Bob. “I will never forget the staff of the Permits & Inspections office, that is a super crew of people that I love like family.”
Buncombe County schools continue to monitor student readiness for college-level work through ACT assessments. In recent data from https://www.dpi.nc.gov/, about 28.5% of senior students who took the science portion of the ACT were considered ready for college in 2022-23; among juniors it was 30.1%. For reading readiness on this test among seniors it was 41.1%, while juniors reached 43.2%. In math readiness on this assessment among seniors it stood at 25.6%, compared to juniors at 32.7%.
