It did not take Princeville long to find and hire a town manager.

Sam Knight, who held the job since 2003, retired Thursday. His successor interviewed Monday night and was hired Tuesday.

David Overton of Windsor reports for work on Monday.

Overton, 64, has more than 40 years of experience in town administration. He was deputy town clerk, town clerk and then town administrator of Windsor from 1964 until he retired in 2003.

After retirement, he worked as a consultant for Lewiston-Woodville and then was interim town administrator for Aulander.

“Started two to three days a week,” he said, “and then two days a week.”

When the man who succeeded him in Windsor, Allen Castelloe, was called to Iraq, Overton came back and filled in for 16 months.

Then it was over to Murfreesboro as interim town administrator from April to August 2007.

“I am registered with the League of Municipalities,” Overton explained. “When a town needs an administrator on an interim basis to help out, they call me.”

That’s what Princeville Mayor Delia Perkins did on the advice of Vance Holloman of the Local Government Commission who is familiar with the oldest town chartered by blacks (in 1885).

Except for some bookkeeping classes at Pitt Technical Institute in 1973, Overton did not attend a college or university. He has three certifications in property tax collection, accounting and zoning administration from at the Local Government Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill “and had plenty of on-the-job training,” he said. “Sometimes that’s the best.”

Overton will begin working three days a week, but hopes he can cut that down to two days a week.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done,” he said. “If it takes more, I will work more. I am there to help the people.”

Overton will be paid $35 per hour “and they will furnish me transportation,” he said.

He was hired through December, by which time Perkins and the Board of Commissioners hope to have a full-time manager hired.