AMHERST — Whoever is selected among the three finalists to become Amherst’s next permanent town manager should have both political and personal skills, and an ability to shrug off opinions from detractors, according to longtime political observers and participants in Amherst town government.
“The town manager needs to have some political sense, judgment of town politics and a particular skin to put up with being criticized,” said Lewis Mainzer, a Town Meeting member and professor emeritus of political science at the University of Massachusetts.
The Select Board will interview finalists William Fraser, of Montpelier, Vermont; Maria Capriola, of Willimantic, Connecticut; and Paul Bockelman, of Somerville, later this month, and anticipates making a hiring decision on May 5.
While Mainzer said he does not know the candidates, he has confidence in Bernard Lynch, the consultant hired by the town, who assisted the Town Manager Screening Committee in narrowing the 70 applicants to the three finalists.
Mainzer said the next town manager’s success will be marked by selecting good people to oversee departments, understanding how employees are functioning and performing well in front of Town Meeting, where developing the confidence of the legislative body is important.
“This combination of skills means a purely managerial fellow deaf to people’s passions might run into trouble,” Mainzer said.
Mainzer said the Select Board choice will be based less on science and more on its matchmaking abilities.
Margaret Roberts, a Town Meeting member, said the next town manager should appreciate that Amherst is a town where residents want to be heard.
“They must realize that citizen participation is very important here, and it takes extra work to do that,” Roberts said.
A town manager also should bring in high-quality staff, with one of the first decisions selecting a new finance director.
“Generally, we have staff that’s very good,” Roberts said.
Former town moderator Harrison Gregg said a “thick skin” is essential for the town manager selected, and also a patience in recognizing that the political process in Amherst is not quick.
“You have to be someone who appreciates the value of it and deal with it positively, and not be overwhelmed by it,” Gregg said.
The person chosen should have great ideas, problem-solving abilities and an ability to communicate, Gregg said.
Denise Barberet, a Town Meeting member and former Planning Board member, said the next town manager should recognize that multiple viewpoints exist in Amherst, and that it is not a monolithic community.
“This town is increasingly divided on many issues, and when people feel that their perspectives are not represented or are ignored, it will lead to further division, and a needless waste of time and resources that could be better spent on building true consensus,” Barberet said.
Working as town manager in Montpelier since March 1995, Fraser says his leadership style has created conditions in which the annual budget has been approved by an increasingly higher percentage of voters.
Fraser said the support for the direction he has pursued in his role is growing, and this could transfer well to Amherst.
“It seems like it’s a good match for my style,” Fraser said Tuesday from his home in Montpelier.
Fraser said he would focus on combating economic disparity and promoting economic development, and finding ways to pay for building projects and other long-term expenses.
“I think every town is struggling with capital needs and how to fund the aging infrastructure,” Fraser said.
Capriola, assistant town manager for Mansfield, Connecticut, since 2007, in an email Tuesday sent a link to a spotlight feature in an online University of Connecticut alumni publication, in which the Bennington, Vermont, native said she aspires to be a city or town manager.
In her cover letter submitted to the Town Manager Screening Committee, Capriola stated that her style would work well in Amherst.
“I have demonstrated an ability to lead staff and build a sense of team, even during difficult and challenging situations,” Capriola wrote.
Capriola added that she will use both quantitative and qualitative approaches to problem solving and decision making.
Bockelman has spent the past 12 years as director of administration and finance for the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and previously was operations manager for the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association and town administrator for Manchester-by-the-Sea.
Bockelman could not be reached by phone or email Tuesday or Wednesday.
In his cover letter submitted to the search committee, he cites an appreciation for Town Meeting and a hope to return to Amherst, where he attended Hampshire College.
“While I am comfortable providing direction and articulating the vision for the town to a broader audience, my leadership style starts with active listening to the residents, employees and elected officials who are creating that vision,” Bockelman wrote.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
