@ The Piedmont Club

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J. Dudley Watts, Jr., County Manager – County of Forsyth and Lee Garrity, City Manager – City of Winston-Salem

Dudley Watts is the County Manager and has been that role since 2007 replacing previous Manager Graham Pervier. He graduated with a BS from NC State in Economics, with a technical option in computer science.  Attended graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill and received a Master degree in Public Administration.  He worked for several years with a national consulting firm conducting operations reviews and other studies for local government clients. Previously he served as an Assistant County Manager and Finance Officer for Pender County (on the coast) for about three years and as County Manager in Granville County (North of Raleigh and Durham) for 9 years before coming to Forsyth County.

Lee Garrity is the City Manager and has been that role since 2006 replacing previous Manager Bill Stuart. He graduated from George Mason University with a BA and Master degree in Public Administration. He has also completed continuing education work at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill Institute of Government. Lee worked a number of years in Washington, DC for the United State Senate Committee on Finance and Federal Election Commission. He began working for the City of Winston-Salem in 1992 holding various roles including Senior Budget and Evaluation Analyst; Director of Office of Organizational Effectiveness; and Assistant City Manager.  

Dudley and Lee are contemporaries who both started in their roles relativity at the same time replacing two long serving and respected managers in local government. They also are leading their respective organizations through change such serving the citizens through e-government, trying to maintain the current level of government services with raising taxes as a last option. Along with dealing with the change of economy and demographics in our community.

Evening with 8 - Plus Smitty! is a different kind of dining experience, one where you can meet and mingle with cool people in a casual atmosphere.  Plus, the food is first-class and can open your mind to new things.  Just ask any of the 1000 or so folks who have met, hung out, and forged new friendships and contacts with Smitty of the past eight years.  We like to think of it as building a social capital in Winston-Salem - one meal at a time!

 The concept is considered a dinner networking event.  We encourage everybody to come with an open mind and enjoy meeting new and interesting people as friends, expanding both your personal and professional network.

The dinner program features 16 to 24 people or more (tables of 8, get it?).  Smitty invites guest speakers to address topics of interest expressed by invitees.

Dinners will be primarily heald at The Piedmont Club located on the 19th Floor a top the BB&T Financial Center in downtown Winston-Salem.  You are promised the best sunset view of the city at each dinner, which will consist of a fix prix three course (salad, entree and dessert) meal.

Seating is limited and spaces will fill up fast.  Guests will be confirmed by telephone a week before the scheduled dinner.