Dix Park Conservancy Names Ruffin Hall as Next President and CEO

(RALEIGH, NC) - December 10, 2024 - The Dix Park Conservancy board of directors is pleased to announce Ruffin Hall as its next President and CEO. Following an extensive five-month national search led by North Carolina consulting and executive search firm moss+ross and a search committee of eight board members, Hall will join the Conservancy on January 1, 2025. The search attracted 150 applicants from 21 states and six foreign countries.  

Hall, a Raleigh resident, brings a wealth of skills to this position. He has deep experience in working with local governments, primarily in North Carolina. He served as the Raleigh City Manager from 2013 to 2020. Prior to that, he served the City of Charlotte, NC, in various capacities, including Assistant City Manager and Budget and Evaluation Director. After retiring from the City of Raleigh in 2020, Hall and a business partner founded Walton & Hall, LLC, a consulting firm that provides management consulting services to local governments and nonprofit organizations. 

“Ruffin brings the experience we were looking for in this next chapter of the Dix Park Conservancy,” said Conservancy Board Chair Bill Ross. “His proven capability in managing a multi-faceted public program with the City of Raleigh in a fast-paced and dynamic environment is exactly what we need in our next leader.”

Hall noted, “On a personal level, I am deeply passionate about the opportunity to work with the Dix Park Conservancy. I recall taking a tour of the park as a candidate for City Manager in 2013 and feeling the enormous opportunity for Raleigh – it was one of the key reasons I decided to uproot my family and make a move from Charlotte to Raleigh.”

He and his family chose to stay in Raleigh, given their passion and appreciation for the community. “We care about the future of Raleigh, and I want to lend my experience, skill, and passion to help make great things happen at Dix Park,” Hall said. 

Hall holds a BA in Political Science and an MPA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Dix Park Conservancy’s recent projects include the restoration of the campus’ historic Stone Houses and the launch of an ambitious public art initiative. In the spring of 2025, Dix Park will unveil the 18.5-acre Gipson Play Plaza, an inspiring public space for all ages with one-of-a-kind play spaces, works of art, a civic plaza, fountains and gardens.