County Manager List Down To Three

The field of Jasper County Manager candidates has been narrowed to three after interviews Monday by four of the five commissioners.

The three are Leonard L. Bernat of Watkinsville; Luther M. Smart of Baxley, and C. Gregory Williams of Covington.

The field was narrowed from an initial 27 applicants to five by a screening committee, then the commissioners narrowed the five to three.
The names will now sit on the table for two weeks, as the law allows, and the commission could make its selection before the end of the month.

Mr. Bernat is a Marine Corps veteran with qualifications listed as 30 years of supervisory experience. In addition, he says he has executive, financial and project management experience.

He has worked for five years for the Oconee County Board of Commissioners and for a year at the Chamber of Commerce there.

Mr. Smart has served as county manager for Appling County, and retired from the U.S. Army as a major. He has a masters degree in public administration.

Mr. Williams has served as the county administrator in Rockdale County since November, 1999. Before that he worked as Director of Finance and Director of Electronic Commerce for John Harland Company. He received a bachelor of science degree from Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, Ala., and competed nine semester hours in the MBA program there and another 15 quarter hours in the MBA program from Georgia State University in Atlanta.

The commissioners have not yet set a meeting to make their selection. All the commissioners except Bob Yarbrough were present for interviews Monday.