Two town administrators in neighboring towns have been named as finalists to become Duxbury’s next town manager. The town manager search committee announced the names Monday night at the selectmen’s meeting. The finalists are Norwell Town Administrator James Boudreau and Hanson Town Administrator Rene Read.

Duxbury’s current town manager, Richard MacDonald, officially retired on Jan. 25, but he is currently serving as interim town manager under a contract with the town.

Wayne Heward, chair of the town manager search committee, said the committee received 23 applications and interviewed four candidates. After narrowing the number down to three, the committee was told by one of the finalists he could not pursue the job opportunity due to family issues, said Heward. Heward said the two finalists are “each very qualified professionals.”

Neither of the two Duxbury employees who had applied for the position made the final cut. They were Director of Inspectional Services Scott Lambiase and Finance Director John Madden.

Boudreau has been town administrator in Norwell since 1998. Before that he served as town administrator in Holbrook for three years. He has a master’s degree in public administration from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and received his bachelor’s degree in political science also at UMASS.

Read, a Duxbury resident, has served as the town administrator in Hanson since 2009. Previously, he was employed as the assistant town manager in Mashpee and prior to that he served as the acting town administrator in Harwich. Read graduated from the University of Vermont.

The position of town administrator can differ from that of a town manager, depending upon how the job is listed in the bylaws of the specific town. Often a town manager has more powers and duties than a town administrator if the town manager position was created through a charter process rather than through a bylaw.  Town manager jobs created via charter are granted the power to make appointments and prepare budgets as well as enter into collective-bargaining agreements and purchasing contracts. Often town administrators act more like chief executive officers with the final authority on important decisions resting with the board of selectmen.

Selectmen said they will set up interviews with Read and Boudreau in the next few weeks. Town Manager Richard MacDonald requested that both men meet the town hall staff at that time.