BREAKING: County Manager Dena Diorio to retire
Commissioners to begin search for replacement for job overseeing county's day-to-day operations and nearly 7,000 workers
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Diorio to step down in July 2025 after 11+ years leading county government; praised as a ‘visionary’ with a ‘take-charge attitude’
by Tony Mecia and Cristina Bolling
Dena Diorio, the Mecklenburg County manager known for her no-nonsense style, announced on Thursday that she will retire from the county after leading it for 11+ years.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve the residents and employees of Mecklenburg County,” Diorio said in a news release Thursday morning. “When I took this role, I wanted to make sure the county was always at the table to discuss issues, find solutions and improve lives for our residents. I have always believed that to serve our community, we must be bold and have a vision of how things could be. We needed to see what is possible, and how best to help people.”
She informed commissioners of her decision in a closed-session meeting on Wednesday, the press release said. The news was first reported on X (Twitter) this morning by WBT’s Brett Jensen, after Diorio sent a memo to county employees.
Diorio, who leads the day-to-day of a county government with nearly 7,000 employees and a $2.5B operating budget, is known for not mincing words.
She once commanded ace WSOC reporter Joe Bruno, who asked during Covid about a possible vaccine mandate, to “Ask the question the right way, Joe.” She explained her decision to order county employees back to the office five days a week by saying she had seen Zoom meetings used as a crutch, even by subordinates who had meetings with her: “I’m like, ‘You know what? When you’re going to have a meeting with the county manager, you get your butt out of the house, and you come to the office.’”
In its news release, the county described Diorio as a groundbreaker. She was Mecklenburg’s first female county manager when named to the post in 2013, following a six-year stint as the county’s chief financial officer.
Her career highlights, it said, were creating the county’s preschool education program and streamlining and consolidating the county’s human services programs to be closer to residents.
The release also said she created a “culture of accountability and transparency” and is known for her “take-charge attitude,” as evidenced during the pandemic, including overseeing the county health department and emergency operations.
Before coming to Charlotte, Diorio held jobs in local government administration in New York City and Connecticut.
Diorio has also had changes in her personal life. She lost her husband of 27 years, Robert Diorio, to liver cancer in 2018. Last September, she married fellow Charlotte Rotary member Phil Volpani. “Never seen a bride radiate such happiness,” a bridesmaid wrote on Instagram.
Diorio is the county’s top-paid employee, with compensation of $430,000, according to a Charlotte Observer database. We could not immediately find her age, but records seem to indicate she is in her early 60s.
Commissioners chairman George Dunlap said commissioners would form a committee to search for a new manager. In a statement, he praised Diorio as a “visionary” and said the county has “transformed under her leadership.” Diorio plans to step down in July 2025.
“I know we will find a new county manager,” Dunlap said. “But there will only be one Dena.”
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman, BC Creative
Such a ridiculous requirement in the midst of a pandemic to require in person meetings. I worked remotely for 12 years and there rarely is a real need to meet in person, it’s a power play.
I admired her for having employees come to their offices full time.