New Grafton Town Administrator Evan Brassard begins work Monday
Town Administrator Evan Brassard officially takes the reins Monday at the Municipal Center, moving from his hometown of Monson to the unknown of Grafton.
Brassard, town administrator in Monson since 2014, replaces Tim McInerney, who mutually separated from the town back in July. He will be assisted during the transition by Temporary Town Administrator Carter Terenzini, who recently put together a Fiscal Year 2022 budget and suggested several changes to Grafton’s operations.
“Grafton seems to have it all: farms, housing, commercial developments, and open space,” Brassard said in a news release welcoming him to the town.
Brassard has lived in Monson since the age of 6, participating in 4-H, motorcycle racing, and team sports. He received his Bachelor of Science in Political Science from UMass Amherst, a Masters in Public Administration at Anna Maria College, and is a graduate of the Harvard Program on Negotiation. He also spent some time after graduation as an adjunct professor at Anna Maria, teaching leadership.
He became Emergency Management Director in Monson in 2011 after an F3 tornado tore through 39 miles of Western Massachusetts, destroying 77 buildings in Monson, including town offices and the police department. Three years later, he moved into the town administrator role, continuing to assist in the town’s rebuilding.
Brassard also spearheaded the implementation of new financial policies and reforms, which helped to solidify Monson’s financial security. He hopes to do the same in Grafton, which separately hired Monson’s Finance Director Mary Lauria to prior to Brassard’s hiring.
On his first day in town, he wants to start building a rapport with residents and staff to help build trust and open communication, with the hope that it will lead to innovative and efficient problem-solving.
When Brassard is not at work, helping those that need it, he is an avid woodworker and outdoorsman. He lives in Monson with his wife and two daughters and continues to use his 4-H experience by raising chickens at home.
