Aaron Church

Church is a newcomer to Rowan County, taking Rowan County’s manager position in October. Church replaced former county manager Gary Page, who retired in August.

Church was the final choice for manager over former county commissioner Chad Mitchell, who did not seek re-election for county commissioner.

Church’s tenure at the helm of Rowan County government is short, but so are the tenures of three new Rowan County commissioners. One of his well-received proposals in 2014 was a county-wide compensation study.

Just before moving to Rowan County, Church was the manager of Yadkin County for five years. Church’s co-workers in Yadkin County spoke highly of him.

Some of Church’s work in Yadkin includes overseeing completion of the Hood-Chamberlain dam, which began in the early 1950s and had a price tag of about $22 million. The dam formed a lake from South Deep Creek and will soon be surrounded by a park. The park is planned to be one of the few local-government-owned parks in the state where duck hunting is allowed.

His other professional experience includes serving as a congressional aide for two years and being assistant to the manager in Burke County.

He is married to Erica Church and they have two children. Church lives in Rockwell with his family.

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Job title:  Rowan County Manager

Age:  36

Where do you live? Rockwell

If you won $1 million in the lottery, what would you do? I would pay federal and state taxes which would be approximately $400,000, tithe, pay off college loans, buy my mother a new car and put $100,000 in each of my children’s college funds.

I would put the remaining funds in discount brokerage account and slowly purchase stocks, bonds and commodity exchange traded funds that I favor.

Favorite hobby: Spending time with my wife and children and researching stocks, bonds and commodities.

Who should play you in a movie?  Tom Hanks.

What would you choose for your last meal? Aged New York Strip steak, baked potato smothered in cheese, bacon and sour cream, pitcher of sweet tea with crushed ice, garlic texas toast with butter and mozzarella cheese, lobster bisque, baked brie with fruit and Krispy Kreme chocolate covered icing filled donuts with ice cold milk for desert.

Which person in Salisbury or Rowan County would you call someone to watch in 2015? Dr. Lynn Moody.

Biggest challenge for Rowan County government in 2015: The budget in a revaluation year coming out of the worst recession since the great depression.

Biggest hope for Rowan County in 2015: There is currently a lot a positive activity that is pointing toward job and tax base development.  In fact I spent New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day working on a proposal for a new employer with Robert Van Geons and county staff.  I can think of four unannounced new employers or projects that may very well become a reality in the next six months.

Reaction to making the list: Shocked and humbled.