Stuart Valzonis will join the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners, filling the seat left open since Larry Pittman resigned in September.
The Cabarrus County Republican Party Executive Committee selected Valzonis, and the board received the recommendation Monday, Nov. 2, according to the Salisbury Post. Valzonis will be sworn in at the board's regular meeting on Nov. 16. His term runs through November 2028.
Under North Carolina law, the party's executive committee had 30 days after Pittman's Sept. 30 departure to recommend a same-party replacement. Commissioners are then required to appoint the nominee, according to the Salisbury Post.
Valzonis has served as planning director for the Town of Dallas since 2025, according to a county release cited by the Salisbury Post. He previously worked as a planner for the City of Charlotte and the Town of Stallings.
He holds a master's degree in business administration from UNC Pembroke and a bachelor of science degree in geography and urban planning from UNC Charlotte. He served six years in the North Carolina National Guard, including a deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve from 2016 to 2017.
Valzonis said in his letter of interest that his planning background gives him a "strong" understanding of local government. He described his work as involving land-use policy, development activity, infrastructure and community needs.
Pittman, who took office Dec. 2, 2024, announced his resignation effective Sept. 30 as he prepared to move to eastern North Carolina, according to the county. He previously served in the N.C. House of Representatives from 2011 through December 2022.
Board Chair Laura Lindsey, who also sits on the party's executive committee, recused herself from the selection vote to avoid a conflict of interest, according to the county.
Valzonis joins the board as the county has started budget planning for the upcoming fiscal year. The board's annual budget retreat is scheduled for February 2027, and the next regular meeting is Nov. 16.
