County Manager George Wood announced at last night's Board of Cornmissioners' meeting the appointment of Mrs. Deanna Rios as the county's new finance director. Mrs. Rios replaces Mr. Leon Harmon, who recently retired after a 38-years with the county.
Mrs. Rios is currently the Finance Officer for the City of Hickory, North Carolina, a post she has held for five years. Prior to that, she was the Assistant Finance Director for Hickory for over 5 1/2 years. She also served as the Finance Director for the Town of Sawmills for two years.
Mrs. Rios is a certified public accountant licensed in the State of North Carolina. In addition, she is a NC Certified Local Governmental Finance Officer, which is a designation earned from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government following prescribed coursework at the university.
Mrs. Rios has a bachelors degree in Taxation, and a masters degree in Business Administration (with a concentration in Taxation) both from California State University, Sacramento. She worked for the State of California for two years while pursuing her graduate degree.
County Manager George Wood stated: "Mrs. Rios is extremely well qualified for this position. She has both the educational background and significant work experience in local government accounting and finance. She is a seasoned professional who I am confident will provide solid leadership for our financial operations. We look forward to her joining the county's management team."
Mrs. Rios will begin work in Lincoln County on March 1 st.