MARSHALL — The Marshall City Council has officially named Terrell Smith as Marshall’s new city manager.

Smith previously was the assistant to the city manager in Sugar Land for more than six years and has a master’s in public administration from the University of North Texas.

“I am excited,” he said after Thursday’s vote by the council. “I am excited to grow with the city and the local organizations. There is a lot of positive growth and energy here, and I just want to help that continue to develop.”

Smith was chosen from six finalists selected by the city council, all of whom met with Marshall city officials and community members throughout the past week.

“All six of them are excellent candidates. We couldn’t have made a bad choice,” Mayor Amy Ware said.

“This week has been an eye opening and amazing experience, and I wanted to express to each of you how proud I am of the council,” Councilwoman Jennifer Truelove said, “There has been a lot of work in this process, and at the end of the day I truly believe 100 percent that everyone on this council has Marshall, the betterment of Marshall, in their hearts.”

He said he has a background in special projects management, operations and strategic planning, leading a number of public works projects in Sugar Land.

“The community has been very welcoming. I tend to ask a lot of questions and everyone was so inviting,” Smith said. “I am really looking forward to working with everyone in the future.”

Thursday’s council meeting was the last for for interim City Manager David Willard, who has served in the position for the last three months, assisting council in the hiring process along with managing traditional city manager responsibilities.

“Thank you for the opportunity to come and serve with you,” Willard said, “I am excited about the appointment of Mr. Smith and think he will be a great city manager.”