RALEIGH, N.C. — Dempsey Benton was sworn in Wednesday as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Benton brings 38 years of public service to the position. Most recently, he served as the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources chief deputy secretary from January 2001 until February 2007.
He served as the Raleigh city manager from 1983 to 2000 and as the city’s assistant manager from 1974 to 1983. Earlier, Benton was the city manager of Elizabeth City and also held the position of finance director of Rocky Mount.
Benton is the 12th secretary of DHHS, one of the largest departments in state government with more than 19,000 employees and a $14 billion annual budget.
Benton succeeds Carmen Hooker Odom who left to become president of the Milbank Memorial Fund.
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