TOWN INFORMATION

New Assistant Town Manager – Karen Whichard

The Town of Davidson announces the hiring of Karen Whichard as our new Assistant Town Manager.

Karen comes to us after almost eight years with the City of Charlotte.  As the Administrative Services Manager and a member of the City Manager’s Office staff, Karen managed special initiatives for the City of Charlotte in areas including community safety, environment, public works, and racial equity. Prior to joining the City Manager’s Office, her work within the City of Charlotte included stints with the Strategy & Budget Department and Charlotte Water, where she held roles including budget development, crisis communications, media relations, intergovernmental affairs, customer service, process improvement, essential operations, and community relations. Before joining the City of Charlotte, she served as the Communications Director for the City of Kannapolis, where she was a key member of the city and community team that managed the redevelopment of the downtown core from textiles to the NC Research Campus.

A long-time Charlotte resident, Karen attended South Mecklenburg High School and holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Masters of Public Administration from UNC Charlotte. She lives in Charlotte with her husband, Mark Schrader, and they have three children: Will, age 10, Tate (daughter) age 8, and Wells (daughter), age 7 months.  For hobbies she enjoys being outside – especially hiking, coaching Tate’s softball team, and riding her bike. 
“After a thorough search process, we are pleased to welcome Karen to the Davidson team,” said Town Manager Jamie Justice. “We are excited to find someone with Karen’s experience and talents and she will be a great fit for our town.”

Karen can be reached at [email protected] or 704-940-9602.