The 2024 Salary Guide: How much do city officials and employees make across the Triad?

Your guide to city workers’ salaries in Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point is here.

After cities passed budgets in June — $658.9 million for Winston-Salem, $802 million for Greensboro and $518 million for High Point — we compiled a list of salaries for city employees across the Triad thanks to public records requests and data from each municipality. These do not include the salaries of employees who work at the county level. Salaries are listed in descending order from greatest to least. This year, the minimum wage for city workers in Winston-Salem was raised to $18 per hour; in Greensboro it’s $18.75, and in High Point the lowest pay grade rate is $15.76 per hour.

For the first time in years, Matt Brown, Greensboro Coliseum director since 1994, is no longer the highest-paid city employee in the Triad. Brown made $418,615 last year and retired in July, which means we have to make some more original jokes now after years of enjoying the running gag. The Greensboro Coliseum Complex, as well as the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, is now managed for the city by Oak View Group, per the city council’s March decision.

To see the salaries from years’ past, go here.

Executive

• City Manager William “Pat” Pate, Winston-Salem — $285,000
  • Pate has been city manager since November 2023.
• City Manager Tasha Logan Ford, High Point — $263,294
  • Ford has been city manager since July 2021
• Interim City Manager Chris Wilson, Greensboro — $216,180
  • Wilson has been interim city manager since March 2024.
• Assistant City Manager Ben Rowe, Winston-Salem —$206,071
  • Rowe has been an ACM since December 2013
• Deputy City Manager Greg Ferguson, High Point — $199,459
  • Ferguson has been deputy city manager since January 2022
• Assistant City Manager Larry Davis, Greensboro — $195,013
  • Davis has been an ACM since July 2019
• Assistant City Manager Nathaniel “Trey” Davis, Greensboro — $195,013
  • Davis has been an ACM since June 2019
• Assistant City Manager Nasha McCray, Greensboro — $193,004
  • McCray has been an ACM since July 2022
• Assistant City Manager Aaron King, Winston-Salem — $191,338
  • King has been an ACM since November 2021
• Assistant City Manager Eric Olmedo, High Point — $182,124
  • Olmedo has been and ACM since October 2019
• Assistant City Manager Damon Dequenne, High Point — $172,352
  • Dequenne has been an ACM since June 2022

Legal

• City Attorney Charles “Chuck” Watts, Greensboro — $280,452
• City Attorney Angela Carmon, Winston-Salem — $251,360
• Chief Deputy City Attorney Anthony Baker, Greensboro — $200,268
• City Attorney Meghan Maguire, High Point — $196,100
• Deputy City Attorney Anargiros “Jerry” Kontos, Winston-Salem — $183,401
• Police Attorney Brian Beasley, High Point — $138,016

Budget

• Budget and Performance Management Director Scott Tesh, Winston-Salem — $161,129
• Budget and Evaluation Director Jon Decker, Greensboro — $142,939
• Budget and Performance Director Stephen Hawryluk, High Point — $130,663

Finance

• Finance Director Marlene Druga, Greensboro — $177,771
• Chief Financial Officer Kelly Latham, Winston Salem — $174,894
• Financial Services Director Bobby Fitzjohn, High Point — $168,199

Legislative

• City Clerk Angela Lord, Greensboro — $131,092
• City Clerk Sandra Keeney, High Point — $90,099
• City Clerk Jayme Waldeck-Cranfill, Winston-Salem — $81,053
• Deputy City Clerk Victoria Howell, Greensboro — $65,322
• Deputy City Clerk Alison Glynn, High Point — $63,999
• Deputy City Clerk Tatiana Banner, Winston-Salem — $58,890

Elected officials 

• Mayor Nancy Vaughan, Greensboro — $33,722
• Mayor Pro Tempore Denise D. Adams, Winston-Salem — $28,190 (plus $9,000 for expense and car allowances)
• Council members Barbara Hanes Burke, Annette Scippio, James Taylor, Jr., John Larson, Kevin Mundy, Robert C. Clark and Jeff MacIntosh, Winston-Salem — $28,190 (plus $9,000 for expense and car allowances)
• Mayor Cyril Jefferson, High Point — $26,649
• Mayor Pro Tempore Yvonne Johnson, Greensboro — $26,805
• Council member Goldie Wells, Greensboro — $26,042
• Council member Nancy Hoffmann, Greensboro — $26,042
• Council member Marikay Abuzuaiter, Greensboro — $26,042
• Council member Sharon Hightower, Greensboro — $26,042
• Council member Hugh Holston, Greensboro — $25,803
• Council member Zack Matheny, Greensboro — $25,686
• Council member Tammi Thurm, Greensboro — $25,075
• Council members Britt Moore, Amanda Cook, Vickie McKiver, Tyrone Johnson, Patrick Harman, Tim Andrew, Monica Peters, and Michael Holmes, High Point — $20,307
• Mayor Allen Joines, Winston-Salem — $8,400 according to city payroll documents. The city’s budget outlines a $35,310 salary, $8,400 expense allowance and $3,900 optional car allowance for Joines. However, according to the city’s Budget Director Scott Tesh, Joines does not take it and usually gives it back to the community agencies throughout the city.

Police

• Police Chief John Thompson, Greensboro — $243,963
  • Thompson has been GPD’s police chief since 2022 and has served with the department since 2012. Thompson was an assistant police chief from 2020-22.
• Assistant Police Chief Wilson Weaver, Winston-Salem — $210,131
  • Weaver has been with the department since 1984.
• Police Chief William Penn, Winston-Salem — $186,374
  • Penn has been WSPD’s police chief since 2023 and has served with the department since 1997. Penn was an assistant police chief from 2019-23.
• Assistant Police Chief Doug Tabler, Greensboro — $167,475
• Police Chief Curtis Cheeks, High Point — $152,000
  • Cheeks became the new police chief in July after former Police Chief Travis Stroud retired last year.
• Assistant Police Chief Jose “Manny” Gomez, Winston-Salem — $149,123
• Assistant Police Chief Richard Newnum, Winston-Salem — $141,773
• Assistant Police Chief Stephanie Mardis, Greensboro — $139,647
• Assistant Police Chief Rick Alston, Greensboro — $139,647
• Assistant Police Chief MJ Harris, Greensboro — $139,647
• Assistant Police Chief Katie Allen, Winston-Salem — $136,430
• Assistant Police Chief Cory Kramer, High Point — $115,003
• Assistant Police Chief Matthew Truitt, High Point — $111,363
• Assistant Police Chief Rachel Juren, High Point — $110,524
• Assistant Police Chief Daniel Griffiths, High Point — $110,092
• GPD Public Safety Research Scientist Josie Cambareri-Wolfe, Greensboro — $101,153

Starting pay for police officers

• Greensboro: $55,000
• Winston-Salem: $52,500
• High Point: $49,325

Fire

• Fire Chief Jim Robinson, Greensboro — $216,347
• Fire Chief William “Trey” Mayo, Winston-Salem — $199,570
• Interim Fire Chief Brian Evans, High Point — $165,314

Starting pay for firefighters

• Greensboro: $47,812 — hasn’t risen in the last year, per the city’s website
• Winston-Salem: Varies between around $40,000-$46,000 — starting pay rose by around $2,000 since last year
  • Firefighter Trainee: $40,447-$44,491
  • Certified Firefighter Salary: $41,469-$46,716
• High Point: $44,736 — rose by around $8,000 since last year

Winston-Salem’s Community Assistance Liaisons

Each ward has an assigned liaison who addresses concerns on behalf of the ward’s council member. Liaisons organize and coordinate special events and community meetings on behalf of council members to “engage residents and seek feedback on community issues.”

City Manager Lee Garrity established the Office of Community Assistance in 2007. The office “facilitates the resolution of complaints, receives suggestions and requests from city residents and assists them in navigating city government.” 

• Vernetta DeVane, South Ward — $105,042
• Jennifer Chrysson, Southwest Ward — $89,575
• Yolanda Gilliam-Taylor, Southeast Ward — $81,079
• Zina Johnson, North Ward — $76,986
• Sabrina Stowe, East Ward — $69,264
• Breasia Wynn, Northwest and West Wards — $62,505
• Tamra Bradshaw-Sheller, Northeast Ward — $59,717

Greensboro’s Office of Community Safety

This office focuses on collaboration and cooperation between city leadership, the Greensboro Police Department and the community to enhance public safety.

• OCS Manager Latisha McNeil — $125,000
• BHRT Team Lead Erin Williams — $88,579
• BHRT Team Member Dewey Mullis — $74,752
• Violence Prevention Coordinator Arthur Durham — $72,740
• BHRT Team Member Ebony Pittman — $70,230
• BHRT Team Member Quentin Ealey — $70,042
• BHRT Team Member Kristina Giordano — $70,042
• BHRT Team Member Jamaral Rease — $66,582
• BHRT Team Member Keshia Barksdale — $64,245
• BHRT Team Member David Fuller — $64,245
• LEADS coordinator Mary Houser — $63,018

Winston-Salem’s Behavioral Evaluation and Response (BEAR) Team

The BEAR Team is housed within the fire department and helps people experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. The team began answering calls in 2023.

• BEAR Team Director Kristin Ryan — $86,913
• BEAR Team Crisis Counselor Victoria Williams — $63,528
• BEAR Team Crisis Counselor Maiya Phillips — $63,266
• BEAR Team Crisis Counselor Jeffery Banks — $59,048
• BEAR Team Crisis Counselor William Hollis — $55,038
• BEAR Team Crisis Counselor Jasmine Long — $53,733

Utilities

• Utilities Director Courtney Driver, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County — $180,339
• Electric Utilities Director Tyler Berrier, High Point — $175,071
• Water Resources Director Mike Borchers, Greensboro — $173,232
• Director of Field Operations (Stormwater, Erosion Control, Streets and Drainage Maintenance) Keith Huff, Winston Salem — $146,339

Street Maintenance

• Street Maintenance Manager Nathanael Moore, Greensboro — $109,301
• Street Maintenance Supervisor Tim Dees, High Point — $63,333
• Streets Supervisors Daniel Sprinkle and Johnnie Smith, Winston-Salem — $58,350

Sanitation

• Field Operations Director Griffin Hatchell, Greensboro— $156,000
• Sanitation Director Charlie Dulin, Winston-Salem — $124,402
• Deputy Sanitation Director Johnita Campbell, Winston-Salem — $88,413
• In Greensboro, solid waste operators in the solid waste and recycling department make between $40,173-$45,189.
• In High Point, sanitation workers make $34,051-$40,740 annually.
• In Winston-Salem, sanitation laborers make between $32,136-$34,390.

Planning

• Planning Director Sue Schwartz, Greensboro — $173,232
• Planning Director Chris Murphy, Winston-Salem —$144,680
• Planning Director Sushil Nepal, High Point — $136,553

Housing and Neighborhood Development

• Director of Housing and Neighborhood Development Michelle Kennedy, Greensboro — $151,638
• Neighborhood Services Director Shantell McClam, Winston-Salem — $141,644
• Community Development & Housing Director Thanena Wilson, High Point — $137,090
• Housing Program Manager Shereka Floyd, Winston-Salem — $90,175

Sustainability/Environmental Services

• Chief Sustainability Officer Shameka Dorestant, Greensboro — $116,641
• Recycling Program Administrator Derek Owens, Winston-Salem — $76,477
• Energy Management Coordinator Lindsey Smith, Winston-Salem — $70,790
• Food Resilience Program Manager Moriah Gendy, Winston-Salem — $70,991
• Beautification Supervisor Rebecca Coplin, High Point — $66,071
• Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful Coordinator Nancy Szabat, Winston-Salem — $56,439

Transportation

• Transportation Director Hanna Cockburn, Greensboro — $173,232
• Transportation Director Greg Venable, High Point — $133,723
• Transportation Director Jeff Fansler, Winston-Salem — $128,865

Engineering and Inspections

• Engineering & Inspections Director Kenney McDowell, Greensboro — $185,287
• City Engineer Wesley Kimbrell, Winston-Salem — $132,128

Libraries

• Library Director Brigitte Blanton, Greensboro — $173,232
• Library Director Mary Sizemore, High Point — $147,582
• Note: Libraries in Winston-Salem are operated by the county.

Information Technology

• Chief Information Officer Tom Kureczka, Winston-Salem — $185,133
• Chief Information Officer Rodney Roberts, Greensboro — $162,106
• IT Services Director Adam Ward, High Point — $153,649

Public Information

• WSPD Public Information Officer Annie Sims, Winston-Salem — $85,000
• GPD Public Information Coordinator Patrick DeSota, Greensboro — $67,495
• Police Communication Specialist Victoria Ruvio, High Point — $64,284
• PIRT Administrator Kurt Brenneman, Greensboro — $62,377

Parks and Recreation

• Parks and Recreation Director Phillip Fleischmann, Greensboro — $159,050
• Parks and Recreation Director Lee Tillery, High Point — $151,072
• Parks and Recreation Director William Royston, Winston-Salem — $129,225
• Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Kobe Riley, Greensboro — $128,608
• Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Leah Friend, Winston-Salem — $96,315

Emergency Services

• Guilford Metro 911 Director Melanie Jones, Greensboro, High Point — $173,232
• Emergency Management Director August Vernon, Winston-Salem — $117,491
• High Point 911 Telecommunications Manager Kyle Thaggard, High Point — $96,566
• High Point 911 Telecommunications Supervisors Devin Fennelly, Joseph Meservey, Kaleigh Reddick and Christopher Downey, High Point — $74,493-$78,551

Human Relations

• Human Relations/Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director Wanda Allen-Abraha, Winston-Salem — $170,457
• Human Rights Director Love Jones, Greensboro — $140,095
• Human Relations/DEI Assistant Director Ronnie Christian, Winston-Salem — $99,967
• Human Relations Manager Rase McCray, High Point — $84,123
• Community Relations Specialist Danice Taylor, High Point — $47,172

Human Resources

• Human Resources Director Marquis Barnett, Winston-Salem — $175,931
• Human Resources Director Angela Kirkwood, High Point — $170,445
• People & Culture Director Jamiah Waterman, Greensboro — $166,458

Purchasing 

• Procurement Services Director Angie Waters, Greensboro — $107,342
• Purchasing Manager Candy Harmon, High Point — $90,201
• Purchasing Director Darren Redfield, Winston-Salem — $88,379
• Senior Buyer Tawanna Gates, Winston-Salem — $72,132

Museums

• Greensboro History Museum Director Carol Hart, Greensboro — $106,656
• Museum Director Edith Brady, High Point — $82,998

Marketing and Communications

• Communications & Public Engagement Managing Director Jeron Hollis, High Point — $158,071
• Director of Communications and Marketing of Carla Banks, Greensboro — $148,909
• Director of Marketing and Communications Veronique George, Winston-Salem — $128,280
• Marketing Manager Ryan Ferguson, High Point — $106,184
• Senior Community Educator Tabetha Childress, Winston-Salem — $84,765
• Senior Communications Specialist Amanda Lehmert, Greensboro — $72,044
• Senior Community Educator Theresa Knops, Winston-Salem — $53,032
• Senior Community Educator Lillian Craven, Winston-Salem — $50,218