NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 4, 1999

TOWN FILLS HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR SLOT BY PROMOTING FROM WITHIN

CARY, NC – Valiria "Vee" Cunningham has been picked to succeed John Brooks as Director of Human Resources for the Town of Cary. Town Manager Bill Coleman made the decision on May 28^th, 1999.

"Vee has the skills and foresight necessary to help our Human Resources Department meet their growing challenges and responsibilities," said Town Manager Bill Coleman. "She assumes this position with my confidence and the highest regard of her fellow staff members."

Ms. Cunningham has about 14 years of experience with the Town, hired originally in 1985 as a Personnel Analyst. Through various organizational changes, that title was later changed to Human Resources Manager. Her areas of responsibility included recruitment and selection, classification and pay, training, employee relations, wellness programs, and policy development.

"I feel very fortunate to have worked for and been associated with the "best" in N.C. governmental human resources," said Cunningham, whose immediate emphasis will be on employee recruitment and retention and organizational development as well as enhancing HR efforts in organizational development by working closer with Town departments to help them maximize their organizational performance. "Cary employees are extremely talented in their fields. Given the existing market, Human Resources will be challenged to continue to recruit and retain such highly talented employees."

A native of South Boston, VA, Cunningham worked with the City of Raleigh’s and the UNC Hospital’s human resource departments before coming to Cary. She also taught at Durham Technical Community College. She has an undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Masters in Public Administration from North Carolina Central University.

A former board member, Cunningham is active in the International Personnel Management Association. She also served on the Local Government Credit Union’s Loan Review Committee.

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