BLYTHEWOOD – The Blythewood Town Council has unanimously selected Douglas Polen as the new Blythewood Town Manager. Polen has served as the Deputy Administrator for the Town of Irmo since 2023.
Polen brings with him more than 20 years of senior leadership experience across local government and the private sector. Prior to his current position with the Town of Irmo, he held roles as a community development director, manager, and administrator for cities and towns, as well as in local government planning.
His 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.
Polen said he’s looking forward to getting to Blythewood and going to work in his new job.
“Blythewood’s a great community, and this is a really important time in its history. I’m excited that I’m going to get to be a part of that,” Polen said. “With the growth pressure that’s coming to the town right now, there’s going to be a lot to get done. I come from a planning background, and I’ve worked in some fast-growing towns – Moncks Corner, Irmo, the Charleston area, which is just exploding. I have a lot of experience in that, which is important to have coming here.”
Polen said he’s looking forward to starting off trying to meeting as many groups as possible and becoming a part of the community.
Polen and his wife Mary, an elementary school art teacher, live in Irmo, and he said he will be commuting at first.
“But I’m not a fan of commuting,” he said. “I’m a fan of living in the community where I serve. So, hopefully, we’ll get over to Blythewood sooner rather than later.
Polen graduated from Wofford College with a B.A. in Economics and History. He also earned his Master of Public Administration from the University of Georgia and his MBA from the University of Virginia.
Polen will start work at town hall on June 1, at a salary of $180,000 annually with a three-year contract.