Buncombe County Assistant Manager DK Wesley has been appointed as the next Asheville City Manager. Wesley, who joined Buncombe County in 2019 after serving in Lake County, Illinois, will leave her current position on January 2, 2026.
During her tenure in Buncombe County, Wesley played a significant role in leading the community through the COVID-19 pandemic and the response to Tropical Storm Helene.
County Manager Avril Pinder commented on Wesley’s new appointment: “DK is uniquely positioned to continue serving Buncombe County’s residents in this new role – please join me in wishing her well.”
Until a permanent replacement is found, responsibilities will be divided between the two current assistant county managers as recruitment for a new assistant manager begins.
Wesley’s public service career began at the University of Central Arkansas’ Office of Institutional Advancement and included roles with the cities of Allen and Grand Prairie, Texas. She later served the City of Fort Worth, Texas for 12 years before moving to Lake County.
Wesley holds a Bachelor of Science in public administration from the University of Central Arkansas and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Texas. She also completed executive training at the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service LEAD Government Executive Training Program.
In related education news within Buncombe County school districts, recent ACT results show that among senior students taking science exams during the 2022-23 school year, about 28.5% were considered college-ready (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/), while juniors performed slightly better at 30.1% (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/). For reading portions of the ACT, 41.1% of seniors (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/) and 43.2% of juniors (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/) met college readiness benchmarks. In math, 25.6% of seniors (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/) and 32.7% of juniors (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/) achieved scores indicating college readiness.
