Grafton Town Administrator finalists include officials from New Bedford, Blandford, Monson
The three finalists for Grafton town administrator include the current TAs for the towns of Blandford and Monson, as well as the chief financial officer for the city of New Bedford.
The three men 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.
“It was not an easy task,” said Mark Haddad, chairman of the TA Selection Committee. “We have very very strong candidates.”
The candidates include:
Evan Brassard, Town Administrator of Monson — Brassard received his bachelor’s degree in political science from UMass Amherst in 2010 and his masters in public administration from Anna Maria College in 2012. He became town administrator in 2014 after three years as the town’s emergency management director, and oversaw the $10 million construction of the new town offices/police department, which were damaged beyond repair by the 2011 tornado. He also oversaw the town’s first capital plan and worked to increase the bond rating.
“Even with these accomplishments, my biggest successes are those that the public will likely never see,” he wrote. “Upon my hire the Town of Monson was a very dysfunctional workplace. Department Heads would not attend monthly staff meetings, the School Department was adversarial to the Town Government, and employee engagement was very low. Over the past six years I have built these relationships back up and have helped created a new culture. The Town and Schools now work together regularly; we now even share a facilities and maintenance department.
Department Heads work together on budgeting and capital planning, and interdepartmental sharing of resources is higher than it has been in years.”
Joshua Garcia, Town Administrator of Blandford — Garcia received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Westfield State University in 2008 and his master’s in public administration from Westfield in 2012. He was hired as town administrator in 2018 after serving as municipal services manager for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.
“A notable accomplishment was the immediate need to get (the town’s) financial house in order and we did this while cultivating an environment of collaboration at Town Hall which reflected positively throughout the community,” he wrote. “We professionalized and reorganized financial departments and made system changes to provide greater efficiency and accountability. The changes implemented allowed for an improved budget setting process, timely closing of books of previous fiscal years and reporting, strong free cash certification balances, a much more efficient warrant processing and payroll system, and timely completion of annual audits. Together, we maximized on the town’s available resources through grants and local appropriations, and made strategic investments in infrastructure, capital upgrades, and multiple investments in stabilization. We accomplished these objectives collaboratively with departments, Finance Committee, Select Board, and community.”
Ari Sky, Chief Financial Officer of New Bedford — Sky received his bachelor’s degree in politics and history from Brandeis University in 1987 and his masters in public administrator from American University. He has been chief financial officer for the city of New Bedford since 2013 and previously held several positions in management and finance in several Virginia counties.
“As the first dedicated CFO in the City’s history, I have successfully developed an integrated enterprise management operation, eliminated organizational silos, and reoriented the agencies under my supervision in favor of an in-house consultant philosophy,” he wrote. “I also play a central role in developing presentations for the major bond rating agencies, which have resulted in the elevation of New Bedford’s bond rating to its highest level in at least 40 years and in facilitation economic growth through the implementation of various incentive programs.”
Bernard Lynch, founder and principal of Paradigm, said the trio have passed CORI and background checks. “All of them are excited about the prospect of being Grafton’s next Town Administrator.”
Select Board interviews are tentatively set for January 6, 2021.
