Chapel Hill leaders say Moeser sets standard

Chancellor James Moeser has set a high bar for his replacement, town leaders said Wednesday.

"James has set pretty much the standard," Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy said.

Moeser's June retirement means change for the University, but also for the town.

The University relies on Chapel Hill's approval of the annual development plan, which guides campus growth for the next decades.

Plans for the University's proposed satellite research campus Carolina North also soon will come before the Chapel Hill Town Council for consideration.

Balancing the University's statewide mission with the town's is a constant challenge, said former Chapel Hill Mayor Ken Broun, who led the Leadership Advisory Committee that helped develop Carolina North.

"The University has its needs, and the town has its interests, and they don't always coincide," he said.

Foy and Moeser have worked together since Moeser was appointed chancellor in 2000. Foy, then a Town Council member, said the two have a close relationship.

"We've been able to successfully develop a relationship that respects the values of both the town and the University. We want to work together even when we don't agree," he said.

Establishing good relationships is important when mayors and chancellors take office, said former Town Manager Cal Horton, who retired last year after serving 16 years.

"Every new chancellor does the best that he or she can do to quickly establish effective working relationships with the leaders of local communities," he said.

Moeser has worked with mayors Foy and Rosemary Waldorf.

Horton said the relationship between the town and University changes based on who is in office.

"There are bumps on the road," he said. "There's dynamic tension."

Foy said Moeser successfully balanced his responsibilities to the University and the town.

"He recognizes that the town plays an integral part in contributing," he said. "James has demonstrated that he will respect the town."

Carolina North was "fully born and developed" during Moeser's tenure, Horton said, but it will be a new leader who will see those plans fully come to fruition.

"The new chancellor will have to continue to work with the community," Broun said.

Foy said he hopes the search for a new chancellor will look for someone to continue Moeser's work.

"Those are qualities that are just a basic minimum when the trustees look to replace him."

Senior writers Eric Johnson and Ted Strong contributed reporting.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.