Shauna Shepherd Named Buncombe County Human Resources Director to Lead Hiring, Retention

Shauna Shepherd was selected as Buncombe County's director of human resources, a role that places her at the center of recruitment, hiring and employee retention across county departments during a critical period of post-storm recovery and rebuild efforts. County Manager Avril Pinder highlighted Shepherd's experience in HR leadership and local government roles as key qualifications for the position.

The county announced the appointment following a nationwide search and said Shepherd will focus on improving hiring processes and employee retention. Buncombe County posted the announcement on Jan. 23, 2026. Shepherd inherits responsibility for staffing strategies that affect the delivery of public services to residents, from recovery operations to routine county functions.

Human resources is a central lever for the county's operational capacity. Filling vacancies faster and improving retention can shorten timelines for permitting, field repairs and casework handled by county departments, while also stabilizing institutional knowledge that is critical during multi-year rebuilds. Shepherd's mandate to refine hiring processes will be watched by department heads and residents who depend on continuity of services as recovery projects move from emergency response into long-term reconstruction.

Policy implications include whether Buncombe will adjust recruitment standards, compensate to match regional labor markets, streamline background checks and onboarding, or invest in training and career-path programs that reduce churn. Improving retention typically requires a suite of measures - from pay and benefits to workplace culture and clear advancement paths - and the county's stated priorities suggest an emphasis on systematic changes rather than ad hoc hiring practices.

Institutionally, the human resources director must coordinate across elected officials, county management and frontline supervisors to align staffing with strategic priorities. County Manager Avril Pinder's statement that Shepherd brings both HR leadership and local government experience signals a preference for an administrator who can navigate public-sector constraints while executing personnel reforms.

For Buncombe residents, the immediate impact will be indirect but tangible: faster fills for critical positions, fewer service delays and a more resilient county workforce during rebuild operations. Transparency on progress will matter; residents and commissioners can expect metrics such as time-to-hire, vacancy rates and retention trends to be meaningful indicators of success.

The county’s announcement and future updates are available through Buncombe County’s Civic Alerts page at buncombenc.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx. As Shepherd assumes leadership, the coming months will show whether personnel reforms translate into measurable improvements in staffing stability and in the county’s capacity to complete recovery and rebuild work.