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Bo Ferguson moves into top spot as Durham's city manager

Bo Ferguson

By Lightning Reports, Published: January 3, 2025

The Durham City Council appointed Deputy City Manager W. Bowman “Bo” Ferguson, who served as Hendersonville'c city manager for five years, as the next city manager following the retirement of City Manager Wanda Page on Dec. 31.

“Bo Ferguson is the right leader to guide Durham’s future,” said Mayor Leonardo Williams. “With more than a decade of dedicated service to our city and nearly three decades of experience in local government, he has the expertise, vision, and a deep commitment to our organization’s values and our community’s values. The City Council is hiring someone who can lead a workforce of nearly 3,000 people and truly loves Durham. Bo has shown that he can be present for the Durham community at large. He has proven his ability to lead with innovation, inclusivity, and fiscal responsibility. He’s vested in Durham and so are we!”

Before his move to Durham, Ferguson served as city manager here from 2008 to 2013, assistant town manager in Black Mountain from 2005 to 2008 and held leadership roles in Rockville and Greenbelt, Maryland, from 1996 to 2005.

He holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas and a bachelor’s degree in political science and urban studies from Furman University. He is also a credentialed manager through the International City/County Management Association and completed executive training in the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Ferguson joined the city of Durham in 2013 as a deputy city manager with a portfolio of nine departments and 1,600 employees. In 2021, City Manager Wanda Page created the Public Safety portfolio and asked Ferguson to lead its four departments, which includes the Police, Fire, Emergency Communications and the Community Safety departments.

Other leadership highlights include:

• HEART Program: Oversaw the creation and growth of the Community Safety Department (HEART program), now a national model for emergency response to certain nonviolent 911 calls.
• Public Safety: Onboarded new leadership in Durham’s public safety departments, ensuring Durham’s core values were respected and uplifted as these departments encountered significant growth and challenges.
• Infrastructure Development: Led the creation of Durham’s Half-Penny for Parks initiative and oversaw significant new investments in facilities that serve the public.
• Fire Department Merger: Negotiated and implemented the consolidation of City and County Fire departments, enhancing services while saving taxpayer dollars.
• Fiscal Responsibility: Assisted in developing policy-driven budgets and Capital Improvement Plans that addressed the needs of residents with a constant eye toward affordability, fiscal sustainability, and cost containment.

“I am honored and humbled to be appointed as Durham’s next city manager,” Ferguson said. “Since 2013, I have enjoyed being a part of this amazing community, where I’ve worked, lived and raised my family. To have the opportunity to serve as city manager in the city that I’m so deeply committed to, is a dream come true for me. I’ve been a witness and a participant in Durham’s transformation over the past decade, and I’m excited to see us continue to build on our progress and ensure all our residents can benefit from and participate fully in Durham’s successes.”

Ferguson was appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper to serve on the North Carolina 911 Board, and currently serves as vice-chair. He has been a member and held several board and committee leadership positions with the North Carolina City/County Management Association, International City/County Management Association, Metropolitan Association of Local Government Assistants, Maryland City and County Management Association and the Kansas University City Managers and Trainees Alumni Association.

Ferguson’s selection comes following the council’s decision to interview him and forgo a national search, said Mayor Williams.

“Needless to say, we were impressed with Bo’s demonstrated leadership, his broad experience, and his commitment to Durham,” Williams said.

Ferguson’s appointment was effective Jan. 1 at a salary of $297,000.