Mayor Dontario Hardy has been serving as the Mayor of the City of Kinston since 2017.
A proud veteran of the United States Navy, Mayor Hardy is also a sworn law enforcement officer at the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, with over 17 years of experience at the local, county, and federal levels.
He serves on the North Carolina Global Transpark Authority Board of Directors, North Carolina League of Municipalities Board of Directors, and National League of Cities Board of Directors.
Additionally, he is the Past Chairman of the NC Mayors Association, President of the North Carolina Black Elected Municipal Officials, and President of the Pitt-Greenville Lodge #69 Fraternal Order of Police.
Mayor Hardy is also serving a second term by Governor's appointment to the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission, is a National Diversity Committee member at the National Fraternal Order of Police, and participates in various other boards and committees representing Kinston, as well as cities, towns, villages, and law enforcement officers across North Carolina.