Monson’s Evan Brassard chosen as Grafton town administrator
The Select Board unanimously chose Monson Town Administrator Evan Brassard as Grafton’s next town administrator Wednesday night.
Brassard, TA in Monson since 2014, quickly emerged as the top choice of the three finalists, which included Blandford TA Joshua Garcia and New Bedford Chief Financial Officer Ari Sky.
“My feeling is that Evan is the whole package,” said Select Board member Ed Prisby, who served as the board’s representative on the Town Administrator Selection Committee. He cited Brassard’s ability to communicate and smooth out differences among staff.
Select Board member Mathew Often was in agreement. “I found him very people-oriented, very collaborative.”
“Ultimately, at the end of the day, I felt Evan was the best candidate,” Select Board member Colleen Roy said. “His passion was just oozing out of him.”
Brassard is the second employee Grafton has plucked from the town of Monson this week. On Tuesday, the Select Board hired Mary Lauria as the new finance director/town accountant.
Grafton has been without a town administrator since July, when Tim McInerney and the Select Board announced a mutual parting of the ways after nearly a decade. The three men interviewed Wednesday were winnowed down from a field of 33 after a search led by Community Paradigm Associates and an appointed Town Administrator Selection Committee. Seven were interviewed by the committee.
Brassard has lived in Monson since the age of 6 and continues to live there with his family. Hw spent his early career working at Rehabilitative Resources in Sturbridge, an agency helping people with disabilities, specializing in quality management. Following the June 2011 tornado, he became director of emergency management for the storm-hit town and was later asked to apply for the TA position.
He admitted that the Grafton post is the first he’s applied for since then. The description of the town intrigued him, and he watched some Select Board meetings to get a feel. What hooked him? A discussion about sidewalks.
“Grafton seemed to resonate, and that’s why I needed to apply,” Brassard said.
Brassard had an unusual method of getting department heads to talk to each other in a rather dysfunctional town hall: he made them read and discuss books together.
“The first six months are all about staff, who are going to fear change,” he said.
Brassard said he was responsible for the town having its first data-driven Capital Plan.
“I’ve seen what you’re doing in Grafton and I’m looking forward to sinking my teeth into it,” he said.
Overall, the Select Board members cited Sky as a runner-up, but feared he may not have an easy transition to the generalist position of town administrator after years of specializing in finance in urban communities. Garcia, they agreed, has a strong career ahead of him in larger communities than Blandford.
The Select Board will begin contract negotiations with Brassard for the position, which was advertised with a $160,000 salary.
