THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 26, 1995 TAG: 9501260597
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 132 lines
THE FIRST THING you notice about Sterling B. Cheatham is his smile.
Gap-toothed and beaming, it's something he shows often, and he has every reason to.
Cheatham is settling comfortably into his new position as one of Norfolk's three assistant city managers. Formerly the city's finance director, Cheatham was picked for the job when Ronald W. Massie retired after 22 years in that office.
The move places Cheatham in the position to help Norfolk move into the 21st century, and he hopes it will help him grow as an administrator.
``I'm excited about the possibility of working closer with the city manager and different community groups,'' Cheatham said recently. ``That's a whole new dimension, instead of just finance.''
Cheatham, 41, now oversees areas such as public works, fire/paramedics, human resources and parks. By shifting to a different arena he'll be more involved with the community and more well-rounded, he said.
While he was finance director, Cheatham said he tried to bring more focus to issues such as financial planning and development. It was a hefty job, he said, but he wasn't alone.
``I've had an awful lot of help from the city manager's office and City Council,'' he said. ``We've gotten nothing but total cooperation from groups to get things done.''
When Massie announced his retirement in November, Cheatham often was mentioned as a possible successor.
``He was a logical choice,'' said Massie, who was on the selection committee. ``He always received superior ratings, and he did outstanding work in the organization, but his selection was due to much more than that.''
Cheatham said it was his ability to work well with people that helped him get selected.
``I understand things that aren't pleasant to hear and the different services we provide,'' he said. ``I also understand key relationships.''
Cheatham is thoroughly professional and is an effective manager, which made him an ideal choice, Massie said.
``It's always refreshing to have someone with that balance,'' Massie said. ``He's one of those rare guys who works in government but is not a bureaucrat.''
Cheatham said his friendship with Massie helped smooth the job transition.
``It's important for me to acknowledge I'm not replacing Ron,'' Cheatham said. ``He's irreplaceable.''
Cheatham office's holds standard administration materials - computer, management books, dozens of files.
But his desk is sprinkled with a few distractions. There's the stress-releasing Chinese meditation balls, a Slinky and a Cookie Monster figurine.
A plastic basketball hoop hangs over an office memo board. Cheatham admits he's a sports fanatic.
``I'm a golfer,'' said Cheatham, who also lifts weights, ``but I'm not too good at it.''
He and Massie have been golf partners, he said, but they've never won a match against another duo.
From his former finance office, Cheatham had a view of Harbor Park and the Elizabeth River - symbolic scenes of Norfolk. Before he came to Norfolk in 1990, he began to familiarize himself with the sights and with city government.
``Norfolk had a strong national reputation as a well-managed, progressive city,'' he said. ``I saw this as a challenge.''
It wasn't long before Norfolk's culture, business climate and community won him over.
``Norfolk grows on you by the day,'' said Cheatham, who lives in the Larrymore Lawns neighborhood. ``It's a calm, relaxing place. I hadn't been exposed to water, and you get to see some sights that are truly special.''
Cheatham, the 10th of 11 brothers and sisters, grew up on a cotton, tobacco and corn farm at Henderson, N.C. By working on the farm and then later in a small retail store, it didn't take him long to develop a sense of business.
He majored in public administration and political science at North Carolina Central University in Durham. While he was in college, he interned at a Veterans Administration hospital.
``It was a healthy experience,'' said Cheatham, who got his master's degree in public administration from American University in 1977. ``It whet my appetite for business.''
Since then, he has interned as a budget analyst for Arlington, worked in North Carolina's department of human resources and was assistant to the city manager for Greenville, S.C.
Before moving to Norfolk as finance director in 1990, he was director of management and finance in Aiken County, S.C.
With all of the moving, it has been hard to set up roots for his family. Cheatham met his wife, Andre'a, while they were both in graduate school. They've been married eight years. Their 5-year-old daughter, Megan, was born while they were in Aiken County.
``I think it's been wonderful for him,'' Andre'a Cheatham said about her husband's recent promotion.
Andre'a, a manager for IBM, said that she likes raising their daughter in Norfolk. And she said that her husband is definitely excited about his new role and about the fact that he now can focus on the future.
``My goal is to be a city manager,'' Sterling Cheatham said. ``I think it's important to have a broad range of experience and exposure, and I see this job helping me accomplish that.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by TAMARA VONINSKI
Sterling B. Cheatham became an assistant city manager this month on
the heels of the retirement of Ronald W. Massie, who was a Norfolk
assistant city manager for 22 years.
Staff photos by RICHARD L. DUNSTON
``It's important for me to acknowledge I'm not replacing Ron
(Massie). He's irreplaceable,'' says Cheatham, the city's former
director of finance.
Cheatham, known for a thoroughly professional and effective
managerial style, discusses city business with Darlene Burcham, a
deputy city manager.
Photos by ERIC THINGSTAD
In the photo at the far left, Cheatham enjoys time at home with his
5-year-old daughter Megan. The photo at the near left shows Cheatham
with his wife of eight years, Andre'a, along with their daughter
Megan.
Graphic
ON THE COVER
The cover photograph was taken by staff photographer Richard L.
Dunston.
KEYWORDS: PROFILE BIOGRAPHY by CNB