Community News


City Manager Lloyd Payne named Marcella Beam Assistant City Manager for the City of Concord. Beam brings over ten years of strategic management and communications experience to the position, which she will assume on December 11, 2023.

“I am thrilled to welcome Marcella to Team Concord,” said Payne. “She is a proven consensus builder in our community and will provide new perspectives for our Leadership Team. I look forward to working alongside Marcella to continue and build upon the current work underway to enhance our city and create opportunities for residents.”

Beam is joining the city’s management team following the retirement of Assistant City Manager Pam Hinson in December. In her role, Beam will provide strategic direction to multiple city departments including Concord Police, Concord Fire, Emergency Management, 911 Communications, Parks & Recreation, Housing, and the Concord-Padgett Regional Airport. She joins the city during a time of historic growth with several transformative projects within these departments underway, including the construction of four brand new parks as part of the $60 million Parks & Recreation General Obligation bond. 

“Having served this community for the last nine years, it is an honor to be joining Team Concord at a time when there are a host of projects in motion that focus on citizen well-being, safety and preserving the history of this city,” said Beam. “I am excited to serve alongside City Manager Payne, and Assistant City Managers Blackburn and Smith, to advance the City’s vision and prepare for its future.”

Prior to joining the City of Concord, Beam spent nearly a decade working to improve the health and quality of life of Concord’s residents. As both the Director of Strategy and Public Information Officer for Cabarrus Health Alliance for the last six years, she formed vital partnerships and helped enact policy changes to meet community needs surrounding mental health, housing, and early childhood education. Through her work as Executive Director of Healthy Cabarrus, Beam identified health and quality of life issues and created action plans and strategies to alleviate those challenges.

Beam’s passion for enhancing the community and serving others extends into her volunteer work. She currently serves on the Board of Directors and is the Board President for Cooperative Christian Ministry and is the Vice Chair for the Cabarrus Partnership for Children.

Originally from Allen, TX, Beam has lived in North Carolina for 15 years and currently resides in Huntersville with her husband Daniel, and two children Bowen, 7, and Lila, 3. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Oklahoma and is working towards an Executive Master of Public Administration through the University of North Carolina Wilmington.