Grant Goings, City Manager 

Grant Goings has led the City of Wilson as City Manager since January 2005, including the deployment of Greenlight, Wilson’s municipal fiber network, and the development of Innovate Wilson, guiding Wilson’s efforts to build a local innovation economy. During his tenure private investment in downtown Wilson has grown exponentially, from less than $1 million annually in the mid-2000s to a projected $61 million in 2018-2020.

Goings’ prior experience includes serving as the City Manager in Shelby, N.C., Town Manager for Elkin, N.C. and Town Administrator in Bethel, N.C. He holds a bachelor of science in political science from Appalachian State University with a concentration in city and council management and a minor in urban and regional planning. He is a graduate of the Public Executive Leadership Academy of the School of Government at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as well as the Municipal Administration Program.

Goings is a member of the International City Management Association and the North Carolina City/County Managers Association, where he currently serves as President. He also serves as a committee member for “Lead for North Carolina,” a new program designed to expose recent college graduates to careers in local government through two-year fellowships in local government service. 

He is a member and past President of the Appalachian State University Local Government Alumni Association, and has been a guest lecturer with ASU’s MPA program.

Currently, Goings serves on many state and local boards including Wilson Forward, Wilson County Properties, and the Wilson Economic Development Council. He served on the ElectriCities Board of Directors for six years, including serving as Chairman in 2016.

 Rodger Lentz, Assistant City Manager  

Rodger Lentz, AICP, is the Assistant City Manager. Before being appointed Assistant City Manager in June 2022, Rodger served as Chief Planning and Development Officer. In that capacity he led Planning, Community Development, Land Development, Code Enforcement, Inspections, GIS, and Downtown Development. Rodger serves on the Board of Directors for the 44,000-member American Planning Association and is the former North Carolina chapter president.

Prior to Wilson, Lentz served for 6 years on the Davidson, NC Planning and Design Review Boards, and worked in planning with the City of Charlotte, Cabarrus County, and Matthews, NC. He also serves on the boards of the Wilson YMCA and the American Planning Association Foundation. Rodger holds a BA in Geography from UNC Greensboro where he concentrated in Urban Studies and an MA in Geography from UNC Charlotte where he studied Urban and Regional Planning. He is also a graduate of the UNC School of Government County Administration program.

Rebecca Agner, Communications and Marketing Director 

Rebecca Agner is the Communications and Marketing Director for the City of Wilson. In that role, she is responsible for the overall communications strategy of the city, including all city departments. Prior to joining the city of Wilson, Rebecca was Manager of Strategic Communications for ElectriCities of North Carolina for nearly 12 years. Before she joined ElectriCities, Rebecca was a public information officer, personnel officer, and town clerk at the Town of Knightdale; director of public affairs for the Alexander County School System; and a senior banking executive and assistant vice president with Bank of America.

Rebecca holds a Master of Arts degree in English, technical and professional communication from East Carolina University and a Bachelor of Science in business administration and finance from Appalachian State University. She is Vice President of the Wilson Rotary Club, the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park Marketing Committee, and the Arts Council of Wilson Branding and Marketing Committee. Additionally, she is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and the North Carolina City and County Communicators Association. 

Albert Alston, Wilson Fire/Rescue Services Chief 

Albert Alston began his career as a firefighter in 1999 with WF/RS. He rose through the ranks as Firefighter, Engineer, Captain, Battalion Chief, and as Deputy Fire Chief before being appointed Chief of Department in October 2017. Chief Alston leads a department that has been re-accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, (an accomplishment that only 300 departments worldwide have achieved) and has a Class I ISO rating.

Chief Alston is a Wilson native and holds a Masters of Arts in Organizational Leadership and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Science with a concentrate in Management from Fayetteville State University. Chief Alston has graduated from the prestigious National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Office Program (EFOP). He has achieved his Chief Fire Officer Designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence Commission of Professional Credentialing and has achieved a member (MIFireE) grade from the Institute of Fire Engineers

Will Aycock, Greenlight General Manager 

Will Aycock is responsible for the management and oversight of all Greenlight and information technology operations. He also supervises the management of the Unified Communications Center. He has worked with the City of Wilson since 2001 and has been part of the Greenlight team since its launch in 2008. Aycock previously served as operations manager, assistant director of ITS, GIS manager, and GIS coordinator for the City of Wilson. He is a graduate of both Appalachian State and East Carolina Universities and holds Municipal Administration and Government Chief Information Officer certificates from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Bill Bass, Public Works Director

Bill is the Director of Public Works for the City for Wilson. In that role he responsible for overseeing environmental services, streets, engineering, traffic, fleet maintenance, and transit. Prior to joining the city in 2014 he held various technical and management positions with North Carolina Department of Transportation over his 23 years with the department. While at NCDOT his focus was roadway maintenance, construction, and project management.

Bill is a North Carolina State University graduate and a registered Professional Engineer. He is a member of the American Public Works Association where he serves on the Street Division Board of Directors. Additionally, he serves on the Wilson County Health Board and is a member of the Wilson Evening Lions Club and serves as vice president.

 Benny Boykin, Police Chief 

Benny Boykin, a 27-year veteran of the Wilson Police Department, was named Police Chief in September 2024. A Wilson native, Boykin joined the department in 1997 as a patrol officer after serving four years in the United States Army. He has held numerous positions in the department including K-9 handler, patrol sergeant, strategic traffic enforcement patrol supervisor, and Southwest district commander (captain) before rising to major in 2021. He served as both the field operations major and the support services major in the department. 

Boykin also serves as the executive director of the Wilson Police Athletics League. He has been a coach, mentor and leader in PAL since its inception.

Boykin is active in a variety of community groups, including several organizations tasked with mentoring youth in Wilson County. He serves on the board of Carolina Family Health Centers and is a member of the Greater Wilson Rotary Club.

David Lee, Director of Parks and Recreation

David Lee is the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Wilson. He also writes a weekly Saturday morning column for The Wilson Daily Times. He is the past President for the North Carolina Recreation and Parks Association and 2011 inductee into the J.H. Rose High School Sports Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was awarded the Fellow Award, the highest award given by the N.C. Recreation and Parks Association. He has also published a book entitled Every Moment Counts.

 

Billy Woodard, Human Relations Director  

The Human Relations Office's motto is Visible and Available to Engage, Educate, and Celebrate the citizens of Wilson by enhancing the quality of life for Wilson residents through community engagement, programs, and services. The department coordinates the Human Relations Commission, the Committee for Persons with Disabilities, and the Wilson Youth Council. The staff receives complaints regarding Fair Housing issues and partners with other community stakeholders to provide resolutions. Additionally, the Human Relations Office serves as a resource to the various neighborhood associations throughout the community.

 

Amy Staton, Chief Financial Officer

Amy Staton joined the City of Wilson in 2021.  Her areas of responsibility include budgeting, accounting and financial reporting, customer service and business operations, purchasing, accounts payable, print services, and central warehouse operations.  She earned her Bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting from Meredith College located in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Amy is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management Accountant.  She is a graduate of the School of Government at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Municipal Administration Program.

Prior to joining the City of Wilson, Amy was the Director of Finance for the City of Rocky Mount for 14 years and Accounting Manager for 10 years.   Prior to municipal public service she worked in public accounting with McGladrey and Pullen in Rocky Mount, North Carolina and as Assistant Controller with Heritage Hospital (now Vidant Edgecombe Hospital) in Tarboro, North Carolina.  Amy is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), North Carolina GFOA, American Institute of Public Accountants, North Carolina Association of Public Accountants, and Institute of Management Accountants.

 

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Kimberly Van Dyk, Director of Planning and Community Revitalization 

Kimberly Van Dyk serves as the Planning & Community Revitalization Director and Downtown Development Director for the City of Wilson, which houses the divisions of Planning, Community Development, Business Development and Downtown Development. In conjunction, she serves as in-kind Executive Director for two non-profit entities, Wilson Downtown Development Corporation and Wilson Downtown Properties.

Ms. Van Dyk has over 25 years of experience in planning, historic preservation, community development, business development and downtown and neighborhood business district redevelopment. Prior to her appointment with the city, she was the Founder and Executive Director of Neighborhood Ventures, Director of the Neighborhood Business Specialist Program, and Assistant Director of South East Economic Development in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She holds a Masters of Public Administration degree, a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit and Government Leadership and Administration, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Organizational Communications and German language, all from Western Michigan University.

 

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John Maclaga, Director of Wilson Energy Utilities  

John Maclaga is responsible for the City’s municipally-owned electric and natural gas utilities. John is a native Wilsonian with over 28 years in the utility industry.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, a Bachelor of Arts in Multi-Disciplinary Studies, and a Master of Science in Operations Management, all from North Carolina State University, where John was one of the first graduates in the Benjamin Franklin Scholars Program. John is licensed as a professional engineer in the Carolinas and Virginia and has a Limited Electrical License in North Carolina. Before joining the City of Wilson, Maclaga served as the Electric Utilities Director for the City of Statesville for six years and as Secretary/Treasurer, Commissioner, and Rate Committee Member of the North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number One. John completed the UNC School of Government’s Municipal and County Government Administration course.  He has served with Carolina Power and Light/Progress Energy in its Transmission Department as an engineer and later with the City of Wilson, Town of Apex, and the City of Rocky Mount in Engineering Manager roles. 

Presently, Maclaga serves as the Chair of the ElectriCities Utility Directors Advisory Council, Vice-Chair of the North Carolina Electric Meter School and Grid Technology Conference, and Alternate Commissioner and Rate Committee Member for the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency. He serves regularly with the Wilson Education Partnership’s Communicating with Confidence Program.