City Manager Rochelle D. Small-Toney is reorganizing the departments of Public Works and Water Resources, Engineering and Development Services. The process has also resulted in the naming of one new director, a promotion for another and enhanced responsibilities for the director of Development Services.

Effective today, March 12, 2019, Public Works and Water Resources will now function as two separate departments. This allows for all Water Resources enterprise functions, including the water plant and wastewater plant, to operate under one director. The distribution of water and collection of wastewater for treatment now functions solely in the newly formed Water Resources Department.

Water Resources is being led by Brenton Bent who has served as assistant director of Public Works and Water Resources since 2014. Bent joined the city of Rocky Mount in 2003 as a lab technician in Water Resources. After just five months on the job, he was promoted to lab supervisor. In 2011, Bent was appointed Community Code supervisor where he worked until his most recent position.

As assistant director of Public Works and Water Resources, Bent oversaw the water plant, wastewater plant, Technical Services Division and Community Code.

Bent received an associates degree in lab technology from the University of Technology in Jamaica, an associates degree in business administration from North Carolina Wesleyan College and a master’s degree in management and leadership from Montreat College.

Engineering is now under the Public Works Department where it will support a variety of projects and services provided by Public Works. Brad Kerr is serving as director of Public Works.

Kerr joined the city of Rocky Mount in 2003 as the assistant Public Works director and Stormwater manager. In 2005, he was promoted to director of Engineering. Prior to joining the city of Rocky Mount, Kerr worked as Engineering manager in the Public Works Department for the city of Greenville. Kerr has been involved in some aspect of municipal engineering since 1991.

As director of Engineering, Kerr oversaw stormwater management, traffic engineering, transportation planning and various engineering work for city departments.

Kerr graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

In addition to the changes in the Public Works Department and the Water Resources Department, the Department of Development Services, under the direction of William Deaton, has gained a new division. Community Code has been moved under Development Services, allowing for more coordination between Community Code and Inspections.

According to Small-Toney, the current changes were implemented to improve services to all of the city’s external and internal customers.

“Reorganizing these departments will allow for greater efficiencies and will improve accountabilities, aligning the divisions that have supporting services more closely together as opposed to across departmental lines of responsibilities,” said Small-Toney. “I am excited to reward the talents that we have within the organization, their passion and dedication to public service, and to present an opportunity for their professional development.”