BLYTHEWOOD – The Blythewood Town Council has selected three finalists for the Town Manager position: Nicholle Burroughs, Douglas Polen, and William Simon.
Nicholle Burroughs currently resides in Prosperity, South Carolina, and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a B.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology in 2008. She has over 17 years of senior-level experience in municipal government and the nuclear industry.
From October 2022 to November 2025, she served as Administrator for the Town of Chapin. She currently serves as a principal consultant and founder of Rile Consulting Services, which provides strategic advisory services to municipalities. She has previously held director and manager level roles in public affairs, economic development, community development, communications, and operations.
Burroughs’ areas of expertise include public administration, human resources, project management, land development planning, public relations, and communications. Burroughs is the recipient of the Greater Chapin Chamber of Commerce Community Advocate of the Year Award (2023) and served as Chairman of the We Care Board of Directors and President of the Greater Chapin Community Foundation in 2024.
Douglas Polen currently resides in Irmo, South Carolina, and graduated from Wofford College with a B.A. in Economics and History in 1997. He also earned his Master of Public Administration from the University of Georgia in 1998 and his MBA from the University of Virginia in 2007.
Polen has more than 20 years of senior leadership experience across local government and the private sector. He has served as Deputy Administrator for the Town of Irmo since 2023. He has previously held roles as a community development director, manager, and administrator for cities and towns, as well as in local government planning.
Polen’s areas of expertise include budgeting, policy development, planning, and economic development. Some of his professional affiliations include the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Credentialed Manager designation, the American Institute of Certified Planners, and Certified Floodplain Manager.
William Simon currently resides in Columbia, South Carolina, and graduated from South Carolina State University with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering, with a minor in Civil Engineering. He later earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from Clemson University. He is expected to graduate in May 2029 with a doctorate in Public Policy and Administration from Tennessee State University.
Simon has over 20 years of experience facilitating business and organizational change to promote economic development. He has served as Administrator for the City of Bennettsville since June 2023. He has previously held director and manager level roles in planning, land development and floodplain management, and operations.
His areas of expertise include strategic planning, project management, economic development, floodplain management, policy analysis, and community engagement. His professional affiliations include the American Planning Association, the American Public Power Association, and the South Carolina Association of Hazard Mitigation.
The Blythewood Town Council will be interviewing the three finalists in the coming weeks. Town Council’s desire is to have the new Town Manager begin work on June 1, 2026.