Title
Order of the Hornet Induction - County Manager Dena R. Diorio
Action
ACTION:
Induct County Manager Dena R. Diorio, into the Mecklenburg County Order of the Hornet, the highest honor bestowed by the Board
Commission Contact: Chair Mark Jerrell
Presentation: Yes
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
The Order of the Hornet was established in 1972. It is bestowed by the Board of County Commissioners on persons who have displayed valor or high order of service uniquely and specifically to the residents of Mecklenburg County. This is the highest honor bestowed by the Board. The Order of the Hornet was founded in the spirit of the early Mecklenburg patriots who signed the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence on May 20, 1775, and proclaimed the County’s freedom from Britain more than a year before the U.S. Declaration of Independence was signed. Those early patriots valiantly fought for their independence during the Revolution and gave Lord Cornwallis such difficulties during his occupation of Charlotte that he termed the town a “hornet’s nest” of rebellion. County Manager Dena R. Diorio reflected the honor, strength, and fierce American patriotism that so stung Lord Cornwallis and is being recommended for membership in the Order of the Hornet.
Dena Diorio has been a leader in public administration since 1988. Dena earned her bachelor’s degree in social services from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University.
She has held leadership positions in local government in New York City, the City of Stamford and the City of Danbury, both in Connecticut, and in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
Dena joined Mecklenburg County in 2007 as Director of the Department of Financial Services. She is recognized for guiding the County through the fiscal crisis and implementing policies that significantly improved the financial position of the County. In 2013, she was promoted to As...
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