The Fayetteville Public Works Commission announced that CEO/General Manager Elaina Ball will step down to assume a position in her home state of Texas, effective Sept. 2. 

Ball came to North Carolina in 2020 to serve as the first female CEO and general manager of PWC. 

Mick Noland, the chief operations officer for Water Resources at PWC, will be the new interim CEO and general manager, effective Sept. 3.

“It has been an honor and privilege to lead PWC and serve our customers and community,” said Ball. “This decision has been very difficult to make due to the deep ties I have developed to Fayetteville and Cumberland County.  I am making this decision for my family and for a role that will afford an opportunity to return to our home state of Texas.  This is a terrific community that I have enjoyed being a part of and I will continue to be a strong supporter and advocate of both PWC and Fayetteville/Cumberland County.”

“It is always difficult to say goodbye to people who come into our sphere and make themselves a voluntary part of our family,” said Evelyn Shaw, PWC chair. “On behalf of the Fayetteville PWC Commissioners, we understand that sometimes people must move toward opportunities that cannot be denied.”

In the course of her time in Fayetteville, Ball has played a key role in achieving a number of accomplishments for PWC and the area it serves. 

Among those achievements are the securing of a “historic low interest rate when financing $94.7 million of revenue bonds, the lowest ever achieved by PWC outside of state lending; maintaining base electric rates through FY23 and introducing new optional electric rates that will incentivize the adoption of electric vehicles and roof top solar,” a PWC press release said. 

In addition to these feats, Ball helped to finalize a community partnership with Metronet, the nation’s largest independently owned, 100 percent fiber optic company; assisted in a variety of economic development projects, including the arrival of Amazon and Crypto C; and led the team at PWC to pursue legal action to “improve response/responsibility for industrial polluters in the Cape Fear River.” 

Earlier this year, PWC also announced plans, under Ball’s leadership, “for a first of its kind renewable energy project that will use multiple biogas sources and expanded PWC’s battery/energy storage capacity to two MW to continue efforts to lower PWC power costs,” the press release said. 

 “Ms. Ball's leadership was challenged by an international health pandemic, yet she nimbly and adroitly encouraged the PWC team toward an innovative and cutting-edge trajectory in alternative energy sources, reasonable rates for customers, respect for the environment and clean, reliable water sources for all,” said Shaw.  “We appreciate the great strides made during Ms. Ball's tenure on our team.  Our strategic plan and the leadership she amplified within the workforce aptly showcases her team theme. On behalf of the PWC Commission Board, we wish her tremendous success and happiness.”