Photos by Lerone Graham | The Roanoke Times

Annette Perkins, chairwoman of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors (center), introduces Craig Meadows (right front) as the county's new administrator. Meadows is standing with his wife, Rhonda, and is supported by the county's board of supervisors (from left) Jim Politis, Bill Brown, Mary Biggs, Gary Creed, Doug Marrs and John Muffo.

Craig Meadows, 48, is replacing former Administrator Clay Goodman, who left in March to become administrator for Roanoke County.

CHRISTIANSBURG -- Former Bedford City Manager Craig Meadows will become Montgomery County's new administrator after formally accepting the position during a closed meeting Monday afternoon.

"I'm very excited and very happy to be accepted by the supervisors," Meadows said after the meeting.

Meadows, 48, is replacing former Administrator Clay Goodman, who left in March to become administrator for Roanoke County.

Meadows' contract begins Aug. 1, a Saturday, so his first day on the job will be Aug. 3.

Goodman's salary at the time of his departure was $132,590. Meadows will earn $140,000.

Details were worked out down to the wire, ending with a 3 p.m. closed-door meeting of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors to work out Meadows' compensation package and formally offer him the job.

Meadows attended a 5:30 p.m. news conference with his wife, Rhonda. Beforehand, he said their primary focus at the moment will be to find a place to live. Meadows said he has no idea where that will be, but knows that it will be "somewhere that has a house big enough to fit five teenagers."

Supervisors have held several closed-door meetings to discuss the administrator search in recent weeks, but never publicly named any of the candidates or finalists.

Chairwoman Annette Perkins said the county received more than 50 applications in a national search to fill the position, which was reduced to about 10 standouts, and then three that the supervisors would bring in for interviews. One candidate withdrew, so Meadows and one other candidate were finalists.

Perkins previously said the county would consider holding public forums introducing the finalists, something the county had not done in the past. After bringing Meadows in for a second interview and allowing him to meet county staff, constitutional officers, Christiansburg and Blacksburg town managers, among others, Perkins said everyone involved had seen enough.

"We felt that the feedback from the people he would be working with was important," Perkins said.

Meadows had been city manager of Monroe, N.C., a city of 31,000 residents about 20 miles southeast of Charlotte, until February. The 2008 census estimates a population of 89,967 for Montgomery County.

According to a Feb. 5 newspaper article in The Enquirer-Journal, Meadows resigned after he was informed that the city council wanted to move in a new direction.

"We didn't feel that he was focused on the things we wanted him focused on," Monroe City Councilman Bob Smith was quoted in the article.

Smith added that he thinks Meadows did some good for the city and that he originally recommend Meadows for the position in 2005.

Meadows received a $140,000 severance package from the city of Monroe, according to the newspaper.

Shortly afterward, Meadows served as interim town manager of Red Springs, N.C., before accepting the Montgomery County position on Monday.

Meadows said with the current state of the economy, new jobs aren't easy to come by in such a short amount of time.

"I was very blessed," he said.

Meadows served as Monroe's finance director and assistant city manager from 1991 to 1998. He moved to Bedford in 1998 and held the city manager's job there until 2005, when he returned to Monroe as its city manager.

Bedford finance director Rosie Jordan spoke highly of Meadows when she learned the news.

"Montgomery County, congrats to them," she said. "They are getting a wonderful person and I think they will absolutely love working with Craig."

Jordan has worked for the city since 1994, and Meadows promoted her to her current position. She said one of the strong traits of Meadows, a certified public accountant, is his ability to understand finance.

Outside of his knowledge, Jordan said he was "just a good, caring manager." She said Meadows knew every city employee by name in Bedford and always sent them handwritten birthday cards.

Montgomery County's supervisors said they were comfortable with their decision and look forward to working with Meadows.

"He's got a real good personality for this kind of work, we've really did our homework," said Supervisor John Muffo.

Muffo said Meadows' management background is similar to Goodman's, who served as the city manager of Buena Vista and town manager of Vinton before becoming Montgomery County's administrator.

"I felt very comfortable with him and I think he'll be an asset to the county," said Supervisor Mary Biggs. "I've heard nothing but positive."

According to Meadows, the feeling is mutual. He said he had been searching for jobs in various localities after leaving Monroe, but Montgomery County's history of strong leadership and staff made the county his top choice.

"I'm looking forward to being a part of that team and being a part of their vision," Meadows said.

Staff writer Courtney Cutright contributed to this report.