Mike Bryant was appointed County Manager on April 1, 2025 by the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. As County Manager, Mike provides leadership for all County departments and agencies, a workforce of over 6,000 full time positions and an operating budget of $2.5 billion. Also, he is responsible for carrying out the priorities and initiatives of the Board of County Commissioners.
Prior to serving as County Manager, Mike was a Deputy County Manager responsible for the Finance Department, the Tax Collector’s Office, Information Technology, Human Resources, and the Tax Assessor’s Office. Also, Mike was responsible for leading the County’s enterprise risk management initiative and for supervising financial planning. In addition, Mike was accountable for the oversight and testing of the County’s Continuity of Operations Plan and responsible for the management & execution of the American Rescue Plan Act funding.
Prior to serving as Deputy County Manager, Mike was the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in Mecklenburg County, NC. As the Director, he was accountable for leading the annual budget development activities on a $2 billion budget, facilitating Board decision-making, and providing oversight and guidance to County departments, business partners, and non-profit organizations.
Mike has been with Mecklenburg County since 2003 and has three decades of experience in City, County, and State government. He has represented Mecklenburg County at several conferences and training seminars. Prior to Mecklenburg County, Mike worked for the City of Durham, Duke University, Granville County and the NC Office of the Governor.
Mike holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Public Administration degree from North Carolina Central University. He is an inductee of the North Carolina Central University 40 Under 40 Alumni Award, an honor given to young alumni that have exhibited leadership, dedication, and success within their profession and communities.
Also, Mike is a recipient of the John “Jack” Vogt Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition of individuals who have advanced the field of budgeting and evaluation in North Carolina local government. In addition, Mike received the Community Building Initiative’s “Leaders Under 40” award.
Mike served as President of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States & Canada Executive Board. He is a graduate of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) Executive Leadership Institution; Past President of the Southern Piedmont Chapter of NFBPA; a past board member of the North Carolina Local Government Budget Association; served on the Board of Commissioners for Emergency Medical Services; and is a member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).
He served on the Chancellor’s Board of Visitors as well as lecturer at North Carolina Central University. Mike served on the University of North Carolina – Charlotte MPA Advisory Board; past board member and mentor for Wayfinders; community volunteer for Habitat for Humanity; and served as an Emergency Financial Assistance Committee member for the Crisis Assistance Ministry.
Mike is an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow; a NC Governor’s Public Management Fellow; a graduate of the Public Executive Leadership Academy – University of North Carolina; and a graduate of the Leadership, Educating, AND Developing (LEAD) – University of Virginia.