Hilton Head town manager a finalist for third job

Hilton Head Island’s town manager Steve Riley is proving to be a hot commodity on the job market — securing a finalist spot for a job in Texas.

It’s the third job for which Riley has been announced as a finalist in recent weeks. He continues to be one of 12 candidates for a city manager position in Savannah along with one of three for a city administrator position in Davenport, Iowa.

Riley has already decided not to pursue the city manager job in Forney, Texas, pulling out of the job search Thursday. He declined to comment on why.

After 25 years as Hilton Head’s top employee, Riley recently said tensions with Mayor David Bennett and other factors convinced him to look for work elsewhere. Bennett has declined to comment on the relationship.

Both men have said they typically have great working relationships with others.

Riley was one of four out of 65 applicants from 23 states who applied for the Forney position, according to inForney.com.

Forney is smaller than some of Riley’s other job prospects with an estimated population of nearly 15,000 residents. More than 102,000 people live in Davenport, Iowa and nearly 143,000 in Savannah. Hilton Head Island’s full-time resident population is estimated at about 39,000. More than 2.5 million tourists visit the island annually.

Town Council discussions about replacing Riley started during a special meeting on June 14. Bennett has said it is wise for the council to be proactive when filling such an important position.

Interviews for the Davenport position will be July 11 and 12. It also is likely that Savannah will narrow its search from six to three applicants this month.

This story was originally published July 1, 2016 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Hilton Head town manager a finalist for third job."