After a two-month long search, Beaufort City Council has narrowed the list of finalists for City Manager and will invite three candidates to participate in another round of interviews followed by a public “meet and greet.”

The finalists are David McCuen, City Manager of Abbeville, SC; Bill Prokop, Interim City Manager of Beaufort, SC; and Dianna Turner, Administrator in Travelers Rest, SC.

Final interviews are scheduled for March 31 from 1-5 p.m., with a public reception to meet the candidates  will be immediately following at City Hall.

“We were very pleased that more than 80 competent candidates applied for the job and  we are grateful that the Municipal Association of South Carolina helped vet them with a team of former South Carolina city managers,” Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling reported. “That speaks to the desirability of working in Beaufort, and these three finalists bring a lot to the table.”

The City Manager leads the administration of the City of Beaufort and is responsible for all departments, including finance, planning, police and courts, fire, human resources and public works. The City’s 2015 fiscal year budget is approximately $17.5 million.

In addition to daily responsibilities, the new city manager will be expected to take the lead on the $30 million Boundary Street redevelopment project, building a new fire station on Ribaut Road, and finding ways to continue a high level of public services in the face of budget challenges.

Meet the finalists:

<strong>David McCuen</strong> has served as Abbeville, SC City Manager since 2013, and prior to that was Assistant City Manager from 2010-2013. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Presbyterian College and a Master’s degree in public  administration from Clemson. He also worked as a firefighter and EMT in Greer, SC.

<strong>Bill Prokop</strong> came to Beaufort as the Director of Human Resources in March 2014, then was tapped to serve as Interim City Manager in January. Prokop came to Beaufort from Keene, New Hampshire, where he worked as the Assistant City Manager and HR director from 2008-2014. From 2002-2008, he served as Town Administrator in Antrim, NH, and previously worked in the private sector. Prokop holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Bryant University and also studied labor relations at the University of Bridgeport and international finance at the London School of Business.

<strong>Dianna Turner</strong>, of Traveler’s Rest near Greenville, SC has served as that town’s City Administrator since 2005. Prior to that she was the city administrator in Landrum, SC, and previously served as project manager for the Appalachian Council of Governments in Greenville from 1992-2002. Turner has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Winthrop University and a Master’s in public administration from Clemson.