The Springfield City Council and the City Manager Search Committee are pleased to announce the selection of three finalists for the City Manager position.

The finalists were selected from a group of eight presented by the search firm Arcus Public during a meeting Monday evening that lasted more than four hours. The finalists have been notified and are invited for a series of in-person interviews in Springfield on Aug. 3-5, 2008.

In alphabetical order, the finalists are:

Greg Burris is Vice President for Administrative & Information Services and Chief Information Officer at Missouri State University. He has held several other positions, including associate vice president and coordinator of management information systems, and since joining the University in 1983. He has a bachelor’s degree in computer information processing and a master’s degree in business administration, both from Missouri State.

Kent A. Myers is the City Manager in Hot Springs, Ark., a position he has held for 13 years. Prior to that he has served as City Manager for Casa Grande, Ariz., and Converse, Texas. He also has worked for the East Texas Council of Governments. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Texas at Arlington and a master’s degree in public administration from Texas Christian University.

Larry Stevens has been the City Manager of Edmond, Okla., since 2002. He previously served as City Manager for Pittsburg, Kan., and Brookfield, Mo. He also has worked as the Community Services Director for the City of Nevada, Mo., and Internal Auditor for the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department. He has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice/political science and a master’s degree in public services administration from Central Missouri State University.

During their visits to Springfield, the candidates will be involved in a series of interviews, meetings and public events. The following is the public schedule for the finalist interviews: