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<span style="font-size:1.0pt"><img width="325" height="73" style="width:3.3854in;height:.7604in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D79DB0.81D98480" alt="Title: City of Durham Communications Department"></span><span style="font-size:1.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="color:#00467E">News Media Contact<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<span style="color:#00467E">Beverly B. Thompson, Director<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#00467F">919.560.4123 x11229 | 919.475.2362 (mobile</span><span style="color:#00467E">)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#00467E">Beverly.Thompson@DurhamNC.gov<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:50.0pt;color:#00467F">News Release</span><span style="color:#00467F;text-transform:uppercase">
</span><br>
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#EF3D42">For Immediate Release: August 30, 2021</span><span style="color:#D3372A"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Durham City Manager Names Bertha Johnson as Deputy City Manager<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Appointment Follows Five Months as Interim Deputy City Manager<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></p>
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DURHAM, N.C. — City Manager Wanda Page has named long-time Budget and Management Services Director
<a href="https://durhamnc.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2935">Bertha T. Johnson</a> to be the next Deputy City Manager over the
<a href="https://durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/25785/City-of-Durham-Organizational-Chart---updated-August-2021?bidId=">
City’s operations departments</a>, effective immediately.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></p>
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<span style="color:black">Johnson has served for the past five months as the Interim Deputy City Manager, most recently overseeing the City’s operations departments, which primarily provide core services to residents, including
</span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/944/Water-Management">Water Management</a><span style="color:black">,
</span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/832/Solid-Waste-Management">Solid Waste Management</a><span style="color:black">,
</span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/733/General-Services">General Services</a><span style="color:black">,
</span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/506/Public-Works">Public Works</a><span style="color:black">,
</span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/1375/Fleet-Management">Fleet Management</a><span style="color:black">,
</span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/456/Finance">Finance</a><span style="color:black">,
</span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/830/Technology-Solutions">Technology Solutions</a><span style="color:black">, and
</span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/1439/Durham-One-Call">Durham One Call</a><span style="color:black">. Previously, she oversaw the administrative and support departments, including Audit, Finance, Budget and Management Services, Human Resources, and Equity
and Inclusion.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></p>
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“During her 13 years as our Budget and Management Services director, Bertha has demonstrated outstanding and innovative leadership skills that have enabled the organization to grow and develop collaborative community partnerships to address community needs,”
said City Manager Page. “As Interim Deputy City Manager, she has shown a willingness to engage in those core services that residents consider vital to their quality of life, including solid waste collection, maintenance of City streets, and access to good
and safe drinking water.”<o:p></o:p></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></p>
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As Budget and Management Services Director, Johnson served on the city manager’s executive leadership team and coordinated and oversaw the development, implementation, and monitoring of the City’s annual operating budget and capital improvement plan. She also
led the City’s Participatory Budgeting program, the development of the City’s annual strategic plan, and was instrumental in the City being awarded several grants, including a national grant that led to the creation of the City’s Innovation Team, which is
focused on addressing social issues.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></p>
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“I am so excited to take on this new role as deputy city manager and to now lead the Operations Portfolio, consisting of over 1,000 employees providing services to Durham residents and businesses,” said Johnson. “I’m grateful to City Manager Wanda Page for
recognizing my contributions to the organization and community over the past 15 years, and for her believing in me that I was ready to take on this new role in serving our community.”<o:p></o:p></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></p>
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Prior to joining the City in 2005, Johnson served as finance director for the City of Roxboro, N.C. and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Johnson is a 1986 graduate of Elon University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.
Johnson also has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from North Carolina Central University.<o:p></o:p></p>
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