A search committee has recommended four finalists for the post of executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission.

The candidates, chosen from an original pool of 33, are Deborah Melino-Wender, director of development for the town of Dartmouth; Peter Temple, executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Donors Collaborative; Adam Turner, town planner for Colchester, Conn.; and Bradford Washburn, assistant director of the state Office of Coastal Zone Management.

Search committee chair Douglas Sederholm, who announced the finalists at a commission meeting on Thursday, said the four finalists were all well qualified.

“They all have good communication skills which is an important part of the job and they all certainly appeared very enthusiastic about the position and about coming to the Vineyard,” he said in a telephone call Friday morning.

The applicants will appear before the commission for public interviews on April 8 at 5 p.m. and April 9 at 6 p.m. The commission is expected to vote on a new director on April 9.

Peter Temple is the sole local candidate. An Aquinnah resident, Mr. Temple has served since 2006 as executive director of the Donors Collaborative, a nonprofit formed in 2003 to increase philanthropy on the Vineyard. He joined the Aquinnah planning board more than 16 years ago, and has been the chairman for the last five years. Mr. Temple holds a master’s in business administration from Harvard.

In his cover letter, he cited his experience as a community leader on the Vineyard and his familiarity with the MVC.

“I know the Island, its issues and culture and I am known by/have good work relationships with many of the commission’s stakeholders as well as most commissioners and staff,” he wrote in part.

Ms. Melino-Wender, a resident of Newport, R.I., has served as director of development in the coastal town of Dartmouth since May 2010. That role involves “strategic planning, community and economic development, housing, project management and grant development,” according to her cover letter.

Previously, she served as executive director of the Capital Center Commission, an agency charged with planning 79 acres of downtown Providence. She holds a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Harvard.

“I know that I can bring the knowledge, experience, vision, and passion necessary to accomplish strong results for all the communities on the Vineyard,” she wrote in her cover letter.

Adam B. Turner has served as town planner in Colchester, Conn., since 2007. He holds a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Florida, and has more than 30 years in the field.

A resident of Old Saybrook, Conn., Mr. Turner formerly served as senior policy advisor in the Northern Mariana Islands governor’s office.

“I have been fortunate to have worked on many exciting and meaningful projects during my planning career including a professional concentration on islands and island issues,” Mr. Turner wrote. “Most of my job experiences regarded projects of state, national and even international significance.”

Bradford V. Washburn lives in Norwood and has worked for the state office of energy and environmental affairs since June of 2012 as the assistant director of coastal zone management.

Prior to that post, he served for two years as planning director in Easton. He holds master’s degree in regional planning from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

“My academic background and professional experience has provided me with a solid foundation and diverse skill set that would be valuable to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission,” he wrote in his cover letter.

The applicant chosen from the four finalists will replace current director Mark London, who plans to retire at the end of August. Mr. London has headed the regional planning agency for 12 years.

The commission began their nationwide search in January with the help of the Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management, a recruiter.

A total of 33 candidates submitted applications, and earlier this month, the eight-member search committee interviewed nine of them. When three dropped out of the race to accept other positions, the committee interviewed the remaining six candidates before recommending the four finalists to the full commission this week. Mr. Temple was the only local candidate interviewed for the job.

The successful candidate is expected to begin August 1, allowing a monthlong overlap with Mr. London for training purposes.

The director position oversees a $1.42 million budget and a wide range of planning activities at the MVC. Mr. London, who has 40 years of experience in the field, earns $130,000 annually.