Chris Story has served as Assistant City Manager for Spartanburg, SC, since 2009. In his role, he provides leadership to the city’s efforts in economic development, planning, development services, budget, finance, human resources, technology, and strategic communications. In addition, he serves on the core team supporting Spartanburg’s Way to Wellville health investment initiative and as a leader in the design and development of a proposed unique outcomes-financed continuum of early childhood services. Chris began professional public service in 1995 with an effort to raise funds to enhance the new public library in Downtown Spartanburg. Shortly thereafter, he served as the first Executive Director of a city-initiated community visioning and strategic planning process. From there, he joined the management of Spartanburg County serving as Assistant County Manager for nine years. Chris’s spouse, Jessalyn Wynn Story, is the Director of the Center of Community-Based Learning at Wofford College, which is also Chris’ alma mater. They have two children, a son Wynn who is an almost nine-year-old goalkeeping Padawan, and Suzanna, a four-and-a-half-year-old sunshiny artist.
During the Fellowship
Chris focused on implementing Hello Family, Spartanburg’s new continuum of support model that aims to improve outcomes for young children and their families by providing services to all children born in the City of Spartanburg, from prenatal care through age five. Success required the participation of several autonomous public entities, each with their own concerns and priorities, to make unprecedented cooperative commitments.
