From staff reports
Beaufort City Council has announced the three finalists for the open City Manager position. The public was to have a chance to meet them from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the Landing Pad at 500 Carteret Street.
The three finalists are: Reece Bertholf, City of Beaufort Deputy City Manager; Matthew DeWitt, City of Newberry City Manager; and Scott Marshall, Beaufort County Director of Human Resources.
Beaufort’s search for a new city manager began immediately after Bill Prokop, the current city manager, announced in late September that he would retire from his position in January 2023. The position was advertised nationally, and the application period went from Sept. 28 through Oct. 21, 2022.
The Municipal Association of South Carolina helped in the screening of candidates. The process included a teamwork/leadership assessment, and initial interviews of the top candidates. The City had 23 applicants from 12 states.
On Nov. 30, City Council members were to conduct final interviews with the candidates. That was followed by the open house for the public to meet the finalists.
City Council is expected to make its decision by the middle of December.
Profiles of the finalists, in alphabetical order:
Reece Bertholf
Bertholf is currently deputy city manager for the City of Beaufort. He is a native of Minnesota, and enlisted in the Marines after high school. He served in the Marines from 1997 to 2001 in Okinawa, Japan, and in Beaufort. In 2001, he began his career with the Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department, working his way up through the ranks. He became fire chief in 2015, and was named deputy city manager in July 2021.
Bertholf has a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of South Carolina Beaufort, and an MBA from The Citadel. He also has an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Bertholf is a graduate of Leadership Beaufort, Leadership South Carolina, and the Diversity Leadership Initiative at the Riley Institute at Furman University. He is a member of the International City and County Management Association. He is currently chairman of the board for Riverview Charter School and the Child Abuse Prevention Association.
He and his wife, Mikie, have two children, and live in Beaufort.
Matthew DeWitt
DeWitt is currently city manager for the City of Newberry, S.C. He has served in that position since 2016. From 2012 to 2016, he was assistant city manager of Newberry. He also served as director of Community & Economic Development for Newberry. From 2004 to 2010, he held various positions at Newberry College, most recently as executive director of the Athletics Club and Athletic Development.
DeWitt has a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from Newberry College, and a Master’s in Athletic Administration from Troy University. He has a Master of Public Administration from Clemson University, and is a graduate of the S.C. Local Government Management Training Program and S.C. Economic Development Institute.
He is a board member of the Newberry Opera House and Clinton Newberry Natural Gas Authority. He is a member of the International City and County Management Association.
He and his wife, Jessica, have three children.
Scott Marshall
Marshall is currently director of Human Resources for Beaufort County. He is a native of Danville, Va., and is a retired U.S. Air Force officer, having served for 23 years. After his military career, he was appointed executive director of the Beaufort County Board of Elections & Voter Registration. In 2013, he became director of the Beaufort County Parks & Leisure Services. He then became deputy town manager for the Town of Bluffton, and was named interim town manager in January 2021. In July 2021, he rejoined Beaufort County in his current position.
Marshall has a Bachelor of Science in political science and psychology from Eastern Michigan University and a Master of Public Administration from American Public University. He also has a Master Certificate in Human Resources Management from Villanova University. He is a graduate of the Gettysburg Leadership Institute. He is a member of the International City and County Management Association and is the co-author of an ICMA publication on hiring veterans in local government.
He and his wife, Virginia, live in Beaufort and have two children.
