BEAUFORT, S.C. (July 13, 2021) – Reece Bertholf, currently the City of Beaufort-Town of Port Royal fire chief and City of Beaufort assistant city manager, will assume full-time duties as Beaufort’s deputy city manager in mid-August. Bertholf has held dual roles as fire chief and assistant manager for more than 18 months.
The search for a new fire chief has begun. The City is reviewing both internal and external candidates.
“Over the last 18 months, Chief Bertholf has assumed more responsibilities in his dual role,” said City Manager Bill Prokop. “He has a thorough understanding of City functions and responsibilities, as well as the challenges we face as a community.”
Bertholf will continue to liaison between the City of Beaufort and the Town of Port Royal, managing shared services and intergovernmental agreements.
Bertholf’s day-to-day role in the city manager’s office will include partnering with the heads of all the City departments, with special emphasis on Fire, Public Works, and Finance. Bertholf is also coordinating the City’s efforts with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for grant opportunities related to resiliency and disaster recovery. Bertholf’s work on economic development, grant management, annexation, communications, project management, and strategic planning will continue.
Bertholf’s education includes an MBA from The Citadel and a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Carolina Beaufort. He has attended multiple professional development courses during his tenure as fire chief, including Leadership Beaufort and Leadership South Carolina. He is currently enrolled in executive education at the Harvard Kennedy School which will lead to an executive certificate in public leadership.
The search for a new fire chief is expected to take a month to six weeks and Bertholf will work with the new chief.
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