Following a nationwide search for a new county administrator, Jasper County Council has narrowed its candidate list to three, officials said.
The search was begun after the retirement of longtime administrator Andy Fulghum in May.
The three finalists were announced Sept. 1 by Council Chairman Joey Rowell. The three include Jim Iwanicki, Jared Fralix and John Robinson.
The announcement followed a comprehensive search which was conducted by Swiftwater Strategies on behalf of the county council.
“We were very pleased with the number of qualified professionals who expressed interest in leading Jasper County,” Rowell said. “Swiftwater Strategies has led a thorough process on Council’s behalf to bring us to this point."
Rowell explained that while the
council established what it was looking for, Swiftwater handled the recruitment, screening and preliminary interviews that helped to identify the strongest candidates for the elected officials' consideration.
“The upcoming final-round interviews will mark the first time county council members will be engaging directly with the candidates,” Jasper County Public Information Officer Christian Felt said.
The search attracted 31 applicants from throughout the United States which represented a geographically diverse pool of local-government professionals and executives.
“Following a review of applications and qualifications and multiple rounds of interviews and evaluation conducted by Swiftwater Strategies, the field was narrowed to five finalists,” Felt said. “During the final stage of the process, two candidates withdrew from consideration after electing to pursue other professional or personal opportunities.”
Final round of interviews scheduled
Rowell said the final round of interviews represents an important transition in the process.
“This will be the first opportunity for council members to personally engage with and interview the candidates,” he said. “Each of the three finalists has successfully progressed through a competitive process. Now it is council’s responsibility to spend time with each of them and determine which candidate’s experience, leadership approach and vision are the best fit for Jasper County.”
Jasper County Council was scheduled to conduct final interviews with the candidates on Sept. 9 and 10. The final stage, Felt said, provides council an opportunity to evaluate each candidate’s leadership experience, judgment, management approach, communication style and ability to address the opportunities and challenges facing Jasper County.
“Jasper County is at an important point in its growth, and selecting our next county administrator is one of the most consequential decisions council will make,” Rowell said. “We have been deliberate about getting to this point, and council looks forward to meeting these three finalists and completing the final phase of the process.”
Meet the finalists
Jim Iwanicki
Jim Iwanicki is currently serving as Jasper County’s Interim Administrator and has also been serving as Jasper County’s Engineering Services Division Director. He stepped into the interim role following the retirement in May of Jasper County Administrator Andy Fulghum after 22 years of service.
Iwanicki joined Jasper County after serving as Transportation Manager for the Town of Hilton Head, a position he had held since 2023. Before serving there, he was the Engineer Manager for the Marquette County Road Commission in Michigan from 1998 until 2023. He has also served in other transportation positions. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Michigan Technological University.
Jared Fralix
Jared Fralix, a local government executive for more than 15 years, attended The Citadel and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 2004. He also holds a Master of Civil Engineering degree from Florida University. He currently resides in Walterboro.
Fralix currently serves as Beaufort County’s Assistant County Administrator of Engineering where he has provided executive leadership and oversight of airports, engineering, facilities management and public works operations. He has overseen 220 employees in four departments.
Fralix also founded Beaufort County’s Emerging Leaders Program, serving around 100 employees over a five-year period. He also led stakeholder coordination for the St. James Baptist Church and Cherry Hill School Relocation Initiative, securing approximately $9.84 million in funding.
John Robinson
John Robinson is a local government executive with over 25 years of leadership experience in county and municipal government administration, public safety, emergency management, finance procurement and capital project development.
Beaufort County has several Assistant County Administrators, and, like Fralix, Robinson has also served as one of them. Robinson serves as Beaufort County’s Assistant County Administrator for Animal Services, the Beaufort County Detention Center, Emergency Services, Fleet Services and Mosquito Control.
Robinson has also served as Beaufort County’s Acting Chief Financial Officer, leading strategic initiatives, organizational transformation, budget development, procurement modernization, capital planning and intergovernmental collaboration. He is a former educator and United States Navy veteran and resides in Beaufort.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Jasper County narrows administrator search to three
