CHINA GROVE — A long-time municipal employee for Salisbury is China Grove’s newest planning and development director.

Teresa Barringer took over her current role last month and sat in on her first China Grove Town Council meeting on Sept. 5.

Barringer previously served as the development services manager for Salisbury for 17 years. She began in 2005 but was recruited by a former colleague to give the community and development manager job in Kernersville a try.

“I had worked with the director of planning there in Salisbury, so we had a strong work connection,” Barringer said. “I thought, you know, maybe a change would be exciting, and it was.”

Rowan County, Barringer’s long-time home, kept calling her back, though, so after a little less than a year in Kernersville, she returned to take the opening at China Grove.

“(Kernersville) is a wonderful town with wonderful people, but my heart belongs to the Rowan County area, so once this opportunity became available, I sought after it,” Barringer said. “I was thrilled that I was chosen.”

Born in Baltimore, Barringer moved to North Carolina as an infant, where she lived in Granite Quarry.

“Most of my life, I have spent in Rowan County, so this is where my heart belongs,” Barringer said. “The old saying is sometimes, you just have to go back to where your heart is.”

Working in civil service runs in the Barringer family.

“All of my family has been in public service most of our careers,” Barringer said.

Her son, Kevin Barringer, is a North Carolina Highway patrolman. Her daughter, Hannah Barringer-Hartsfield, is a kindergarten school teacher in Mt. Pleasant.

“Her husband (Ray) is a Cabarrus County Department of Social Services employee,” Barringer said. “My husband is a former Salisbury Police officer.”

To round out the crew, Barringer’s daughter-in-law, Brittany, is a nurse.

“We have always been in the public service career field. We have a passion for our community, and it’s just part of who we are.”

The Barringers have four granddaughters, too. Time will tell if they put on the civil service mantle.

Barringer’s last stop in Rowan County, when she worked for Salisbury, was not unlike her current role in China Grove.

“(Development services) We were the front-door operation for all development activity for the city,” Barringer said. “We received and processed the utility review for our client communities where Salisbury serves water and sewer. China Grove was part of those client communities. As the manager, I oversaw the projects coming in.”

She was also the chair of the technical review committee.

“I managed that as well as weekly coordination meetings,” Barringer said. “I met with various internal and external departments such as the different towns, the DOT (Department of Transportation) and Rowan County, inspections and building codes. We collaborated to work together as a team for the development of our area and Rowan County.”

With her background, Barringer feels more than equipped to take on her current role in China Grove.

“My first goal is to learn the heartbeat of the community and of our leaders,” Barringer said. “I want to understand the growth pattern and help see that come to fruition. I want to understand the needs and desires of livability for our citizens and do what I can to help ensure that is implemented.”

Barringer added she would like to see an increased engagement with other client communities and China Grove’s partners, such as Salisbury-Rowan Utilities and the DOT.

“We want an efficient and smooth level of collaboration,” Barringer said.