Peachtree City officials tabbed H.C. "Skip" Clark II as its next police chief during Thursday evening's City Council meeting.

Clark has 30 years of law enforcement experience, the last 7 1/2 years as chief of police in Juno Beach, Fla., where he has spent most of his career.

He will succeed Jim Murray, who resigned Jan. 1 after heading the department for more than 18 years. Murray announced his plans to step aside in November after city officials confronted him about alleged improper on-line chats.

Clark, 51, is expected to begin work in Peachtree City in April.

"I think he'll be a great asset to our community," council member Cyndi Plunkett said after the council voted 5-0 to confirm Clark's appointment.

"I'm very pleased, very excited," Clark, who has relatives in the Atlanta area, said in a telephone interview Thursday. "I'm really looking forward to it. There's a great staff up there, and I'm looking forward to working with them."

One of 35 initial applicants for the job, Clark cited Peachtree City's nationally recognized police department and the city's overall quality of life as primary factors in his decision to seek the post.

He will take charge of a Peachtree City force whose 60-plus officers dwarfs the 25 staffers he had in Juno Beach, a small oceanside community on Florida's southeast coast. Juno Beach is similar in size to Peachtree City, with 35,000 residents in the 2000 U.S. Census.

Chief among Clark's accomplishments in the Florida city was the installation of its first 911 system. Prior to that, a county sheriff's department had handled emergency calls.

Clark graduated from Barry University with degree in criminal justice/business before earning a masters' degree in public administration from Nova Southeastern University. He and his wife Diane have four daughters, ages 19, 17 and twin 12-year-olds.