The Duncanville City Council, in a special meeting held yesterday, officially accepted the resignation of City Manager Douglas E. Finch, citing personal and family reasons. The resignation, effective from an undisclosed date, ends Finch's tenure, which began on January 8, 2024. Details surrounding his departure remain private as per Finch's request, and Duncanville officials are not commenting further.
Subsequently, no stranger to municipal governance, Richard B. Abernethy, was voted in by the Council to extend his role as the Interim City Manager. Having joined the Duncanville team just in May as an Assistant City Manager for Operations, Abernethy steps into the interim position with a strong backing of more than two decades in city management. In his brief tenure so far, his oversight has spanned across various departments, notably including Human Resources and Public Works.
According to the City of Duncanville, Abernethy brings a wealth of experience from previous roles such as the Director of Administrative Services in other Texan cities like Burleson and Waxahachie, and has played multiple leadership roles with the City of Dallas. Academic credentials supporting his extensive career feature a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Texas and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Texas State University.
