O’Quin To Serve Dual Roles As Planning Director, Interim Town Manager

BENSON, N.C. — The Benson Board of Commissioners approved a six-month contract on June 4 appointing Planning Director Tanner O’Quin as the town’s interim manager following the resignation of former Town Manager Dane Rideout last month.

Under the agreement, O’Quin will continue serving as planning director while also assuming the duties of interim town manager.

O’Quin was hired as Benson’s planning director in April 2025 and said his path to public service began long before he entered local government.

“I started my career early working for my dad’s custom home business digging holes and swinging hammers,” O’Quin said. “I wanted to carve my own path and decided to dedicate my career to public service.”

A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke with a bachelor’s degree in political science, O’Quin later returned to earn a Master of Public Administration degree. While attending graduate school, he began his public service career as an intern with Durham County Emergency Management.

O’Quin later worked for the Town of Clayton as an athletics supervisor before moving into planning with the City of Sanford and Lee County Government. Starting as a planning technician, he advanced to Planner II, where he led the Technical Review Committee and oversaw commercial project reviews and major subdivision applications.

Since joining Benson, O’Quin said the planning department has focused on building organizational structure, establishing departmental policies and advancing several long-term projects.

“We’ve made great progress in that department, creating organizational structure, crafting strong departmental policies, and working on some great projects like developing a Downtown Overlay District,” O’Quin said.

As interim manager, O’Quin will oversee the town’s day-to-day operations while continuing to lead the planning department.

“My role now will be split as I continue to operate as the Planning Director and interim manager,” he said. “I have an amazing team I can rely on to help steer the ship.”

The appointment comes less than two weeks after Rideout resigned amid controversy surrounding town leadership.

O’Quin said he is grateful for the confidence placed in him by elected officials and looks forward to serving the community.

“Tanner has demonstrated professionalism, dedication, and a strong commitment to serving the citizens of Benson,” said Mayor Max Raynor. “The Board of Commissioners has confidence in his ability to provide steady leadership during this transition period while we conduct a thorough search for our next Town Manager.

“I am incredibly thankful to the Board for allowing me the opportunity to prove to the people of Benson that we can deliver meaningful results as a team,” O’Quin said.