WILMINGTON — The Wilmington City Council voted unanimously to appoint a new city manager at its May 20 meeting.
Becky Hawke will replace Tony Caudle, who is retiring after serving a city manager since 2021. Hawke hails from Matthews, North Carolina, where she has served as town manager and previously assistant town manager since 2016. She brings more than 18 years of local government experience to the role, with broad executive experience in organizational leadership and community engagement.
“Wilmington has long been a city I admired and loved and the opportunity to call it my home while working to deliver your vision for the community,” Hawke said at Tuesday night’s meeting. “Working with staff, working with local stakeholders — I haven’t been sleeping well, but it’s out of excitement and I just can’t wait to get to work.”
During her time in Matthews, Hawke advanced major community and economic development initiatives. This includes a partnership between Hendrick Companies and Central Piedmont Community College to provide high-wage jobs and a new public safety training facility. Under her leadership, the Town of Mathews also earned its first-ever AAA credit rating from both Moody’s and S&P.
Hawke is a credentialed manager through the International City/County Management Association (ICMA-CM). She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Hollins University, a masters in corporate and professional communication from Radford University, and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also holds a master’s certificate in human resources management from Cornell University and is a graduate of the Public Executive Leadership Academy through UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Government.
Throughout her career, Hawke has remained active in the communities in which she serves. She is the past President of the Matthews Chamber of Commerce, served on the Board of Directors for a short-term crisis assistance non-profit, and volunteers with animal rescue organizations.
Hawke will begin her tenure as Wilmington City Manager on June 30.
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