Mitchell County Hires New EDC Director

Michael “Mickey” Duvall  has been hired as the new Economic Development Director for Mitchell County. Duvall is from Franklin, NC where he was  Secretary of Commerce for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. Prior to that he has been  Executive Director of Region D High Country Council of Governments. He has also been Pender County Manager, Graham County Manager, a professor of public administration at Western Carolina University and served a term on the Macon County Board of Commissioners. Duvall has also worked in other government positions, as a consultant  and has had several college-level teaching positions. He holds a Ph.D. in theology from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Western Carolina University.

One of Duvall’s top priorities is improving the county’s internet connectivity. He plans on  meeting with all  the local business owners to see what their vision for Mitchell County is. The EDC has not had a full-time director since Laura Verla resigned the position in May 2017 to join her family’s business.