Greg Demko hired as new High Point city manager

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High Point City Council has hired a new city manager. The council hired Greg Demko, who is currently serving as assistant city manager in Monroe, during a closed-session meeting at the Municipal Building late this afternoon.

Demko briefly served as acting city manager in Monroe in late December 2013 and early January 2014, according to an article the Enquirer-Journal after the city fired former city manager John D’Agostino.

Demko joined the city of Monroe in late 2009, according to a press release from the city of High Point. Before that he spent 15 years as the director of finance for the city and county of Broomfield, Colo. and 10 years as administrative services director for the city of Loveland, Colo.

Demko will start his new job as city manager in High Point on Jan. 12 at an annual salary of $170,000. The new city manager will visit the city on Dec. 3 for a meet-and-greet reception at the Municipal Building, Mayor Jim Davis said.

“We are happy to have Greg here to lead our organization,” Davis said in a prepared statement. “High Point faces challenges as we continue to grow and develop, but we are confident that his leadership and proven track record are the right set of skills to keep our organization moving in the right direction.”

Davis said the vote to hire Demko was unanimous.

Monroe City Manager Larry Faison informed members of his city council of Demko’s departure in an email sent out at 4:21 p.m.

“Although I have only recently gotten to know Greg, I quickly perceived the positive results of his efforts and the many successes he achieved for our community — there is much to be proud of,” Faison wrote. “He will leave an indelible impression on many of our employees, me and our citizens. His departure will be Monroe’s and my loss.”

High Point city leaders noted that during his time working for the city of Monroe, Demko played an instrumental role in developing a citywide beautification initiative and streamlined several financial services operations. While at Broomfield, Demko helped the city and county combine government during a period in which real estate property value increased from $1.4 billion to more than $7 billion, and more than 3.5 million square feet of new retail was built.

By taking the top job with the city of High Point, Demko is moving from a city of 32,797 to one with a population of 104,371.

“I have been impressed by the optimism and vision of the leadership in High Point and I am looking forward to working with city council, city staff and the community to further what has already been accomplished and work to assure future community success,” Demko said in a prepared statement.

The decision to hire a new city manager will be one of the final acts of the current council, before the new council with Bill Bencini as mayor is sworn in early next month. The timeline aggravated some citizens who were critical of the council’s handling of revitalization projects and thought the decision should wait until the new council was seated after municipal elections earlier this month. But several current council members, including outgoing Councilwoman Becky Smothers and Councilwoman Judy Mendenhall, who was defeated in her race, insisted the council needed to move ahead.

Former City Manager Strib Boynton retired in June.