Bluffton down to final four for town manager spot

The town of Bluffton has narrowed its list of town manager candidates from 400 to four, town officials confirmed Monday.

The candidates are:

• Anthony Barrett, past county administrator for Spotsylvania County, Va.

• Grant Duffield, city manager for Tega Cay, S.C.

• Hugh King, former city manager of Monticello, Ga.

• Marc Orlando, assistant town manager for growth management in Bluffton.

The candidates are invited to bring their spouses to Bluffton on June 26 for an informal gathering with council members at a time and place to be determined, Mayor Lisa Sulka said.

All four candidates will be interviewed by the town council June 27, Sulka said.

The selection is expected in early July, she said.

Sulka said the applicants included builders, Realtors, retirees, college graduates and local residents.

From the 400, Sulka said the council narrowed the group to 15, then each member ranked the candidates. The finalists were all on council members' short lists, Sulka said.

Sulka said the council evaluated resumes and each of the 15 were interviewed by telephone about what makes a good town manager, what they thought the issues in Bluffton were and how they would manage a staff. Factors considered were their proximity to Bluffton or their understanding of the area, Sulka said.

Sulka said she's looking for a candidate who would not micromanage the staff, who knows how to delegate tasks, who understands Bluffton's environmental and growth issues and who is not afraid to speak to groups of people.

Council member Fred Hamilton Jr. said the finalists have "done their homework" and understand Bluffton or can relate to the town's issues, from growing pains to dealing with emergency management in the event of a hurricane.

Aside from managerial experience, council member Charlie Wetmore said he's looking for candidates who want to commit to Bluffton permanently and whose family wants to live in the area.

Council members Oliver Brown and Allyne Mitchell could not be reached for comment.

The Council is scheduled to meet June 23 to discuss the candidates oncemore before they arrive.