Born and raised in Watauga County, Amy Davis will be retiring from her current position as town manager of Boone after 25 years of service to the local government.
Davis garnered a lot of respect from her peers and fellow staff in Boone government fairly early on in her career. Tim Futrelle, the current mayor of Boone, described Davis as someone who is “really practical” and “steady,” going on to further describe her as a “leader that gets things done but does so quietly and carefully.” She also has made history, as she is the first female city manager of Boone.
Even after venturing off to King’s College and UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Government, Davis came back to Boone to begin her working life as an accountant for New River Behavioral Healthcare. After 22 years in the finance department of Boone, she assumed the position of town manager in 2022 after a brief run as the interim manager.
Futrelle credits Davis for her collaboration in the “rebuilding” of bridges between not only the town and county sectors but the business sectors of Boone’s continuously growing community.
As town manager, Davis was responsible for overseeing Boone’s day-to-day operations. She delegated funding for upcoming construction projects, including the Howard Street renovation. Davis also aided in turning Boone into the first North Carolina town to fully dedicate its energy sector to sustainability by purchasing “green” credits from companies like New River Light and Power that utilize renewable energy.
Davis’ efforts during Hurricane Helene were also instrumental to the reconstruction process in Boone. Immediately following the events of Helene, the Boone Town Council, under Davis’ leadership, granted full access to town properties to set up relief centers and help workers get to people who needed direct and immediate help.
“When you have a disaster like that, it sort of makes people put any differences aside, political views — you just come together to do what’s best for the community,” Davis said.
Futrelle described the feelings of the council as a “hidden gear” they found within themselves to help their community get on its feet again. Within weeks of Helene passing through Boone, the town had many of its fundamental and necessary institutions back up and running efficiently, including shelters on campus at App State in the Holmes Convocation Center and Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, as well as water and food distribution services at said shelters.
She had a major hand in the reconstruction of the infrastructure of Boone post-Helene, which all went through her office directly.
The repairs made by Davis and Futrelle’s team of local workers and staff, such as Fire Chief Jimmy Isaacs and town council members, have resulted in Travel + Leisure Magazine ranking Boone the best small mountain town in the United States only a year later.
With Davis retiring and Futrelle – who did not seek reelection to the mayoral position for 2026 – now gone, the future of Boone’s local government is now in the hands of Mayor-elect Dalton George and Dale Presnall – current director of human resources– who will be assuming the interim town manager position.
When asked about the future of Boone after her departure, Davis had nothing but hope for the future plans and staff of Boone, as did Mayor Futrelle. However, the source of this hope stems from the comprehensive plan the two had a hand in redrawing and implementing for the town, which is called Boone Next.
To formulate this plan, they sought feedback from the everyday person in Boone. They used this feedback to formulate a blueprint aiming to make life easier for Boone residents.
For Davis, however, it’s time to go home and take a long break. Davis said she will be spending time with her daughter and two granddaughters, whom she fought hard to make a livable and prosperous Boone community for.
