York County just hired its new county manager. Here’s which candidate got the job.
The man in charge of York County operations will keep the position, and shed the interim label, following Tuesday night’s York County Council decision.
York County Council voted unanimously to hire David Hudspeth as county manager. Hudspeth served as interim manager since Bill Shanahan left the county last summer. Hudspeth joined the county in 2018 in planning and park services roles.
“I am very proud to be selected to serve as York County’s manager,” Hudspeth said following the council vote. “I look forward to continue working with county council, the York County staff and members of our community.”
On Tuesday night three candidates including Hudspeth met with the community. They then met with council for closed-door interviews. Other finalists for the position were Melissa Cardinali from Cumberland County, N.C. and Chris Eldridge from Horry County.
Hudspeth has 34 years of local government experience. Those years include time with city planning and engineering departments in Rock Hill, and as town manager in Fort Mill.
“David’s experience and leadership will prove to be invaluable as York County continues to experience exponential growth,” Council Chairman Michael Johnson said in a statement. “In the past seven months, David has proven to be a strong leader who is solutions-oriented and able to build trust with a variety of stakeholders.”
The county has several large, ongoing projects that came up during Hudspeth’s time either in the planning department or as interim manager. The county bought 2,100 acres of Catawba River-fronting property on the Rock Hill side, envisioned as a regional park or preserve. The county has several small area plans to steer growth decisions in Lake Wylie, on the I-77 corridor and elsewhere.
