New Mecklenburg Co. DSS director named

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After months of searching, Mecklenburg County's Department of Social Services has a new director.

Peggy Eagan is a certified social worker. She currently is the Executive Director at Children and Family Services Center in Charlotte. The building is home to several nonprofits that serve the community. Many of the people those groups work with, are the same that receive DSS services.

Eagan said her work has taken her from Indiana where she lobbied against child abuse to Charlotte, where she collaborates with several nonprofits.

She told Eyewitness News that DSS director isn't a job she ever had in mind, but her colleagues encouraged her to apply.

"Several different people in the community, my colleagues, called me and said, 'This is a job that really needs you,'" she said.

Eyewitness News spoke with some of the people Eagan works with now.

"She knows Charlotte, knows this community of folks we serve," said Donald Jonas, the executive director of Care Ring.

Jonas said Eagan has created shared services among the groups, providing efficiency while creating partnerships

"We had to build trust, communications and Peggy led us through that," said Jane Meyer, executive director of Smart Start.

Relationships are one of the things Interim County Manager Bobbie Shields said he would like to see a focus on in the county right now, after so many changes over the past year.

Former DSS Director Mary Wilson was fired in September and former County Manager Harry Jones was recently let go.

"Employees in Mecklenburg County are somewhat traumatized right now because of all of the things going on. And I know we provide good services. We want the community to know we provide good services," said Shields.

Eagan said she believes in efficiency, transparency and accountability. She plans to focus on what's working in the department and change what isn't.

She wants to go on ride along and get out in the community when she first starts. She said she is interested in possibly creating new partnerships along the way.

"I would like to reach across the community and build a stronger safety net," said Eagan.

Eagan said the biggest challenge will be the size of the department. The county said DSS has a $160 million budget and approximately 1,200 employees. Eagan said that is bigger than anything she's had experience with.

WSOC