A native of North Wilkesboro, NC, Niel Brooks earned a Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Master of Public Administration from UNC-Wilmington. He possesses nearly 20 years of experience in municipal management and public administration, currently serving as Deputy County Manager for Brunswick County where he supports the following departments: Planning, Code Administration, Engineering, Operations, Parks and Recreation, Library, and Elections. He previously spent seven (7) years as Assistant Town Manager at the Town of Leland, NC and time as Operations Director and Senior Planner. He created the Town of Leland's Parks and Recreation department and served as director for nearly 10 years. Prior to his time at Leland, Niel worked as a Reporter and Assistant to the Editor at the Carteret County News-Times. He is a Credentialed Public Manager, a certified Parks and Recreation Professional, and holds a certificate in Organizational Leadership from Harvard Business School Online.