Sanders is Aiken County Council's choice to succeed Killian as county administrator
May 17—One week after Clay Killian announced that he would be retiring as Aiken County administrator July 20, Aiken County Council chose his successor.
The panel unanimously approved Tuesday a voice motion by its vice chairman, Andrew Siders, to authorize its chairman, Gary Bunker, to negotiate a contract with Deputy Administrator Brian Sanders to replace Killian.
Prior to the 8-0 vote, County Council met in executive session.
Willar H. Hightower Jr. was the only panel member who wasn't present at the meeting or didn't participate via telephone.
"Brian, you have been here though thick and thin, and you have worked with Mr. Killian as his right-hand man for a while," Siders said. "You know the system. You know the people."
Sanders, 56, told the Aiken Standard that he has worked for the county for 30 years.
He has been the deputy administrator since 2019. Immediately prior to that, Sanders served as assistant administrator under Killian.
"I think in the end, to Council, Brian was the obvious choice, rising from the bottom up to the position of deputy administrator," Bunker said. "Council has been very impressed with his performance, with his knowledge base and with his willingness to cooperate with Council on issues.
"We also think this a good signal to the rest of the county workforce that we are promoting from within and that there is a leadership path for our county employees," Bunker continued. "That's something I want to encourage."
Sanders said he also has served the county as a park supervisor, tourism program coordinator, assistant director of the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department and director of the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department.
"I'm honored, very honored, that they have this confidence in me," Sanders said following Tuesday's meeting. "I'm inheriting a great team and following a great administrator.
"I am very proud to have worked with Clay, and I'm looking forward to continuing to provide good service to the community and continuing to build the great team that we have," Sanders added.
Born at the old Aiken County Hospital in Aiken and raised in Graniteville, Sanders is a graduate of Midland Valley High School and Clemson University.
"I'm appreciative of the work that he has done for the county since I've been here," said Killian of Sanders. "I'm very happy (about County Council's decision) because I couldn't have done any of this stuff by myself. We've had a team effort to do all of that, and he's been a big part of that success. He'll be able to continue that better than anybody else. I think good things are still in store for this county."
Killian has been the county administrator since November 2001.
Bunker is authorized only to negotiate a contract with Sanders.
"The actual contract will have to be approved by Council during an upcoming meeting," Bunker said.
