Soon-to-retire Dare finance director honored for 35 years of service
At Monday’s Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting, Finance Director and Deputy County Manager David Clawson was honored for his 35 years of service to the county.
During the presentation ceremony, County Manager and Attorney Bobby Outten said the presentation came with mixed emotions as Clawson will be retiring at the end of June.
“One is, you’re really excited because you have somebody that stayed with the county for 35 years, done a good job, has been here for a long time, added a lot to what we do,” Outten said. “Added a lot to all the things that the services that the county provides and so on.”
“The negative is that when you’re up here with a 35 year pin, you know you’re at the end of their career, you’re not going to get any more, if any, years, out of them,” Outten said.
“Pretty much everything that you see in the county, every building, every program, everything that the county does or has done over the last 35 years, Dave’s had a finger in that,” Outten said. “There’s some contribution he made, whether it’s the financing, whether it’s just advice, whether it’s applying logic to what we do.”
Outten noted there is an award for financial excellence lining the walls of the county administration building for all but the first year of Clawson’s tenure, and that his replacement will face a tall task in matching his work.
Dare County currently has a AA-plus bond rating, and would be rated AAA, if its economy was not based primarily on tourism, according to Outten. Prior to Clawson’s arrival, the county was rated at BB and BBB.
“(That’s) because our finances are good and the things we do are right and our policies are right, and those are all things that Dave did for us and made happen for us,” Outten said.
“I’m happy for him. I’m sad for us, and sad for me, because, you know, he’s been my right hand person,” Outten said.
“He’s given a lot now he gets to take some time and enjoy I know he likes to travel. He’s got his kids all over the country, and just to see all them and be around them more than he’s had the opportunity to do is going to be a nice thing for him, his wife,” Outten said.
Clawson briefly spoke following the pin presentation and standing ovation from commissioners and audience in attendance, noting he left Charlotte for Dare County after working on several audits here and decided he wanted to stay.
He thanked his former partner for allowing the move, and thanked Outten’s predecessor as County Manager, Terry Wheeler.
“(Thanks) for putting me in charge about a month after that, 90% of the time I’m glad I stayed,” Clawson said.
