THOMASVILLE — Thomasville City Council named the three finalists, currently employed in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina, for its city manager position at its meeting Monday night.

Finalists are:

• Ron H. Rabun, of Griffin, management consultant to U.S. and international clients

• Suzanne E. Sherman, of Palm Bay, Florida, assistant city manager at Satellite Beach, Florida

• J. Alan Carson, Lexington, North Carolina, city manager

About 30 people applied for the job. Candidates were narrowed to six, who were interviewed by city council members last week.

City council must wait a minimum of 14 days before voting on a city manager, said city attorney Tim Sanders.

Council member Jay Flowers said a schedule has not been set for finalists to return to Thomasville to meet city staff and the public.

Rabun was interim city administrator at Monroe, after serving as Lee County manager for two years. He was Griffin city manager for three years, Seminole County manager for five years and Clearwater, Florida, city manager for three years.

Rabun was county administrator in Manatee County, Florida, Henry County administrator and Camilla city manager.

The finalist holds a master’s in public administration from the University of Georgia, as well as a B.A. in history from UGA.

In a letter to the Tallahassee, Florida, consultant who conducted the city manager search, Rabun cites experience in cities with full utility service to include electric, water, sewer, gas, telecommunications and cable television.

Carson, the Lexington city manager, has worked in Lexington city government more than 29 years.

“I feel I am able to execute leadership while working within a team atmosphere, as well as possessing the ability to increase positive change through through establishing collaborative relationships through public/private partnerships,” Carson wrote in a letter to the consultant.

As city manager, Carson oversees 318 employees with a $100,000 million budget. Lexington’s utilities system provides electric, natural gas, water natural distribution and wastewater collection. Carson has experience in industrial economic development, Main Street programs and tourism.

Carson earned a B.S. degree in business administration at Radford University in Radford, Virginia. He also has served a Lexington assistant city manager/director of human resources and marketing manager.

Sherman’s letter described her as “a seasoned, professional local government manager.” She wrote that her current position, as well as previous positions, afford her the opportunity to manage a wide range of operational and financial aspects of the organizations she served.

“I value integrity, transparency, communication and professionalism in local government, and I thrive on opportunities to promote collaboration and provide improvements in service to my community, as well as the challenge of bringing increased efficiency and effectiveness to local government operations,” Sherman wrote.

As assistant city manager, she serves in a dual capacity as Support Services Department director, overseeing functions of finance, budget, information, technology, human resources, employee benefits and risk management.

She was acting deputy city manager/assistant to the city manager in Palm Bay in 2014-2015, and focused on economic development and negotiating with developers to secure public infrastructure improvements.

Sherman earned a master’s in public administration at the University of Florida and a bachelor in political science at Florida International University.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820