From staff reports
John J. Sauve, an attorney and public safety professional with extensive government experience, will join the City of Beaufort as assistant city manager the week of Jan. 8, 2024, according to a December 4 news release from the City.
Sauve, who goes by JJ, currently oversees operations, training, and compliance, and is the risk and compliance administrator for the Landrum (S.C.) Fire & Rescue District, a position he has held since October 2021. Since 2019, Sauve has also managed his own law firm, The Sauve Law Firm, where he represents local governments and public safety organizations across western North Carolina.
As part of his legal practice, Sauve also currently serves as the staff attorney and public information officer for the Polk County (N.C.) Sheriff’s Office, where he provides legal, administrative, fiscal, and operational guidance to the Sheriff’s Office, and handles all public information, media, and press responsibilities, including community education and engagement.
“JJ’s experience, education and talent provide a solid foundation for a successful career in local government administration,” City Manager Scott Marshall said in the news release. “We feel fortunate that he is joining us and look forward to welcoming him and his family to Beaufort.”
“I’m excited to join the City of Beaufort team,” Sauve said in the news release. “The sense of community pride my family has always experienced when visiting Beaufort made it a natural choice when this position came open. I can’t wait to get involved in the community and hit the ground running on the many projects happening in the City.”
From April 2016 to March 2019, Sauve served in an assistant district attorney role, assigned primarily to Polk and Henderson counties in North Carolina, where he evaluated and prosecuted misdemeanor and felony cases in District and Superior Court.
Sauve has considerable public safety experience, beginning as a junior volunteer firefighter at the Tryon (N.C.) Fire Department and including as a seasonal forest ranger and fire crew leader for the North Carolina Forest Service. He was also a corporal and field training officer with the Tryon (N.C.) Police Department and a firefighter with the Asheville (N.C.) Fire Department.
Sauve earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2021, and a Juris Doctor from the Charlotte School of Law in 2017. He also earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology and Criminal Justice, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, both from Waldorf University. Sauve is also a graduate of the International City/County Management Association High Performance Leadership Academy and the Drucker Institute’s Public Sector Leadership Program.
Sauve is an active member of the North Carolina Bar Association, the International City/County Management Association, the American Society of Public Administration, Engaging Local Government Leaders, and many other government-affiliated organizations. He is a past president and vice president on the board of directors of the Foothills Humane Society, and past chair and vice chair of the Polk County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council. He has earned numerous certificates in various government management programs and several commendations, including a 2020 administrator excellence award from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Sauve and his wife, Nicole, who is a Realtor, have two young children.
“We are looking forward to settling into the Beaufort community,” he said.
