Two Finance Director Searches, One Transparency Crisis; What’s Really Going On in Greensboro?
City of Greensboro and Coliseum Complex Both Seeking Finance Directors at the Same Time
On paper, the dual openings could be dismissed as routine turnover. In practice, they land in the middle of one of the most serious governance and transparency breakdowns Greensboro has faced in years. And they come as multiple watchdog reports raise questions about how public funds are being managed by nonprofits and quasi-government entities tied directly to City Hall.
City of Greensboro Finance Director; with a salary range of $130,643 to $233,783, reporting to the City Manager and overseeing all of the city’s financial operations, including the internal audit department.
Director of Finance for the Greensboro Complex; posted by Oak View Group, managing fiscal responsibilities for the Coliseum, Tanger Center and other venue operations. Salary is $140,000–$160,000.
At first glance, two executive-level finance roles open at once might just seem like a coincidence. But when you look at the context, ongoing questions about audit practices, nonprofit governance and political conflicts, it starts to feel much more strategic.
Transparency Concerns Run Deep
These hires don’t happen in isolation. There’s growing criticism, including investigations and in-depth reporting, of how Greensboro handles financial oversight.
Despite the simultaneous posting of the two high-level finance director positions, there have been no public announcements indicating that the current officials in those roles are resigning, retiring or otherwise stepping down. The City of Greensboro continues to list Marlene F. Druga as its Finance Director on official pages and in its most recent Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports. Likewise, no press releases, council meeting notes or local news reports have indicated any planned transition in her office.
Similarly, there have been no public statements from Oak View Group or the Greensboro Coliseum Complex regarding the departure of anyone serving as Director of Finance or holding equivalent responsibilities. In the absence of official notice, the sudden appearance of both postings raises questions about timing, and whether deeper organizational shifts are occurring behind closed doors.
Public Integrity Watch published a series of deeply researched investigations into Greensboro’s nonprofit-government ecosystem, including Downtown Greensboro, Inc. (DGI), the Greensboro Sports Foundation (GSF) and the City Council’s handling of conflicts of interest.
Internal audit practices for Downtown Greensboro, Inc. (DGI) headed by soon to not be Councilman Zack Matheny, left out politically sensitive months, censored audit reports including lavish spending and grants to insiders, raised concerns that critical spending hasn’t been properly scrutinized by Greensboro’s Finance Department.
Greensboro's News & Record Misleads the Public, Again
“Sitting council member Zack Matheny appears to be the subject of a State Bureau of Investigation probe.
The Greensboro Sports Foundation (GSF) run by former City Council candidate Richard Beard, is under fire for large executive pay, withheld IRS filings during an election and scrutiny over extensive expenditures lacking transparency;
The SBI is reported to be examining issues involving city officials, DGI, and related entities.
These stories, taken together, paint a picture of systemic opacity, where public money flows through nonprofits and private operators with limited scrutiny and few independent guardrails.
What the Dual Searches Could Signal
By hiring both a city-level and a venue-level finance director, Greensboro could be trying to raise its internal standards after multiple missteps.
Why Two Finance Director Jobs at the Same Time Matters
The timing is no accident. The city’s financial oversight ecosystem has been cracking;
Internal audits that don’t cover full fiscal periods
Nonprofits that receive millions with inadequate reporting
Executives and board members who overlap with city councilmembers and political campaigns
A growing sense that public money is being spent in ways the public cannot see
Posting two top finance jobs simultaneously signals a major pivot point. Either the city is attempting to quietly replace leadership under pressure, or it is preparing for a broader reckoning in how money moves between the city, its nonprofits, its contractors and the agencies that handle the largest public assets.
A City in Need of Independent Financial Leadership
Greensboro is at a crossroads. These hires won’t just fill empty chairs, they will determine whether the city moves toward:
more transparency,
stronger audits,
independent oversight, and
clear separation between private influence and public interest.
Or whether the existing pattern continues; public money, private control, overlapping roles and too few questions asked until it’s too late.
Risk of Entrenchment; If either or both roles go to insiders or people closely aligned with the existing leadership, like how the City Attorney and City Manager positions have been filled in the recent past, little might change.
Without transparency mandates, the same issues of weak oversight and political influence could persist.
Disclaimer
This article is based on publicly available information, job postings, and previously published reports from watchdog organizations and media outlets. All analysis, commentary, and conclusions represent the author’s independent interpretation for public-interest journalism purposes. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication, readers are encouraged to review source materials and verify details independently. Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of any public agency, nonprofit organization, or private entity mentioned. If any party believes information herein is inaccurate, incomplete, or misrepresented, they are invited to submit corrections or comments for review.