Myrtle Beach assistant city manager John Pedersen has been named to become the new city manager. The Myrtle Beach City Council held a special session today to make the selection.
Greer City Administrative Ed Driggers was among the four finalists for the position and interviewed with Myrtle Beach city council and business leaders.
Myrtle Beach City Council nominated Pederson, who has served as assistant city manager since 2002. He succeeds Tom Leath, who had been with the city for 29 years. Leath announced his retirement effective at the end of December.
“This is one of the most important decisions we’ve had to make in the past (25) years, who is going to lead our city,” Mayor John Rhodes said.
Driggers, Easley city administrator Fox Simons, and former James City Council administrator Bob Middaugh, were the finalists, including Pederson, who interviewed.
"Myrtle Beach isn’t the first city to acknowledge the outstanding job Ed Driggers has done in the City of Greer and contact him about an open position," Mayor Rick Danner said in a statement issued Monday. "That sort of attention reflects well both on the city and its leadership. We will continue to move forward with a strong team to make the City of Greer the premier location in South Carolina to live, work, and invest.
Driggers offered a statement today that was provided his staff:
“As many of you know from media sources, I was recently named as a finalist for the City Manager position at the City of Myrtle Beach. I want to keep you informed about the status of this situation.
“Yesterday, I notified the Myrtle Beach Mayor and City Council that I was withdrawing from further consideration. I was grateful for the opportunity to be considered for this position, but I did not feel the move was right for me personally or professionally at this time. We have great things happening here in Greer and I am glad to be a part of it all.
“Thank you for your many words of encouragement and support as I navigated through this decision. Our Mayor and Council have been informed and involved in this decision making process. Their support is evident for all of Team Greer.”