New town manager uses MPA skills in Helene response
When the hurricane hit Mills River, Matt McKirahan set up a resource hub to supply food and water to local residents.
Two months into his job as Mills River town manager, Matt McKirahan ’09 ’18 (MPA), experienced the unthinkable when Hurricane Helene hit the community.
The day of the hurricane, no one could get into Mills River, as the nearby French Broad and Mills rivers had flooded highways and fallen trees blocked roads.
Nothing like this had happened in the town before. McKirahan immediately stepped up to offer support to community members, working with emergency responders to identify the impacts on the community and the greatest needs of its residents.
The town started a resource hub in Henderson County to help community members, staffed by Mills River staff, county staff and nonprofit organization volunteers. In just 10 days, the hub served around 15,000 people, twice the 7,500 population of Mills River. The hub originally provided water and ready-to-eat meals but later added mobile showers and charging stations.
The hub staff were key in helping Mills River recover, McKirahan said.
“They met the need, and they worked incredibly hard to make sure the community got whatever services we could provide,” said McKirahan. “The definition of community changed in the aftermath of the storm. Seeing people from every walk of life come together and say, ‘How can I help others?’ It was a heartening experience.”
McKirahan believes the skills he gained from UNC School of Government and its Master of Public Administration program helped him respond to this challenge and refine his skills as a town manager.
Matt McKirahan. (Graphic by Gillie Sibrian/UNC-Chapel Hill)
“The MPA program and the School of Government alumni network set me up to be as successful as I could be during the storm. It created a network for me to be able to reach out to people,” said McKirahan. “I relied very heavily on the School of Government, their faculty and staff saying, ‘Hey, we’re going through something that there’s no guidebook for. How are we going to get through it?’ That education never ends.”
As town manager, McKirahan functions as the chief administrative officer. He is responsible for implementing decisions, laws and policies directed by council and coordinating the operations of town departments. Through this, he provides knowledge and experience to aid elected officials in making informed decisions. Service to our state has always been important to him.
Responding after Helene
Learn how the UNC-Chapel Hill community has mobilized to support those impacted by the storm.
“I grew up in North Carolina and always loved this area,” said McKirahan. “Working at the school and then attending there felt like I was making an impact in subtle ways to help make North Carolina a better place.”
He started off in larger cities, such as Raleigh, but knew he wanted to work in a smaller town to have a larger impact on citizens. McKirahan’s team — 12 full-time and three part-time employees — is working to reopen facilities, so the community has a place to gather. Much of the team’s focus is now on longer-term needs and planning for the future.
“People still have damage to their homes, and some are dealing with transitional housing. We know more people are getting back on their feet and trying to get back to a new sense of normal,” said McKirahan. “We’re working through that recovery phase as a town. We’re still working with our partners to make sure we address those longer-term needs for our community and residents. We’re having conversations about how to plan and mitigate risks moving forward.”
