The East Marlborough Township Board of Supervisors appointed Neil Lovekin as the new township manager on Monday night. He begins in that position on Feb. 10.

“I look forward to being here,” Lovekin, a Willistown resident, said at the township meeting.

After former township manager Laurie Prysock left in December, the supervisors spent the next two months looking for a replacement. Hannah Christopher worked as the interim manager – a role that supervisors praised her for at Monday’s meeting.

“We selected Neil after a pretty exhaustive search,” supervisors’ Chairman Robert McKinstry said.

There were 55 applicants that were then whittled down to six, and then to three, before Lovekin was selected.

Lovekin, previously worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Community Development and the Chester County Department of Emergency Services. He has worked for the last six years as the assistant borough manager and zoning officer for Malvern Borough. His last day there is Feb. 7.

He plans to have an open-door policy in East Marlborough.

Christopher will remain the township treasurer and also serve as the assistant township manager. The supervisors proposed a resolution thanking her for her service as the interim manager.

“Hannah’s done a great job,” said East Marlborough Police Chief Robert Clarke.