During its regular meeting on July 23, Beaufort County Council voted to offer Alan Ours the position of County Administrator. The council will now take steps to negotiate an employment contract with Ours for an anticipated start date later this summer. Ours would replace Gary Kubic, who served as County Administrator from 2004-17.
Ours was one of two finalists after a nationwide search and interviews with four candidates. Two meet-and-greet sessions were held last week to allow the public a chance to learn more about the final two candidates and ask them questions one-on-one. William Shanahan, County Manager for York County, S.C., was the other participating finalist.
Ours is currently the County Manager for Glynn County, Ga., where he has served since 2010. Glynn County is located between Savannah and Jacksonville, and is home to the City of Brunswick and sea islands including Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island. Ours has worked with various local governments including serving as County Manager in Lee County, Ga., Lowndes County, Ga., and Pickens County, S.C., and as Deputy County Administrator for Spartanburg County, S.C. His public service also includes time with York County, S.C., and Lexington County, S.C.
He is a graduate of Leadership Lee and the South Carolina Executive Institute; former Vice-President on the International City-County Management Association Executive Board; and Past President of the Georgia City-County Management Association. He currently serves as Chairman on the United Way of Coastal Georgia Board of Directors. Ours holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Winthrop University.
Ours is an ICMA Credentialed Manager – a designation shared with about 1,400 local government management professionals in the U.S. ICMA, which formed in 1914, is the leading association of local government professionals dedicated to creating and sustaining thriving communities. To receive the prestigious ICMA credential from the organization, candidates must be a full voting member of the organization. They must submit to a peer review process, which entails completing a comprehensive knowledge assessment and demonstrating executive experience across a broad spectrum in the field of public administration, adherence to high standards of integrity, and a detailed professional development plan to evolve over the course of their careers.
Ours has been married to his wife, Elizabeth, for more than 35 years. The couple has 10 children and three grandchildren.
