AMHERST — Community leaders said Friday that they support Maria Capriola’s selection by the Select Board as the next town manager.
A divided board Thursday voted 3-2 to hire Capriola, the assistant town manager in Mansfield, Connecticut, over Paul Bockelman, director of administration and finance for the Massachusetts Municipal Association. However, it was evident from the board’s discussion that members believed either would be a good fit for Amherst.
“I felt satisfied with the decision,” said Alice Swift, a Town Meeting member from Precinct 8 who attended Thursday’s meeting. “They (Select Board members) made it very clear both candidates were very strong.”
Swift also praised the board for allowing significant public participation. “I thought the process was excellent,” Swift said.
Pending successful negotiations, Capriola will succeed the late town manager John Musante, who died in September.
Two members of the Select Board, Andrew Steinberg and Douglas Slaughter, will meet with Capriola next week to begin negotiations on a contract. Select Board Chairwoman Alisa Brewer said that Capriola will be back in town Monday, two weeks after she interviewed with the board.
Capriola responded to an email from the Gazette late Thursday night, saying she would call or email Friday. However, efforts were unsuccessful to reach her again Friday to get reaction to the board’s decision and its discussion.
Jerry Guidera, interim executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, said the preliminary screening committee brought forward three high-quality finalists.
The third finalist, Montpelier, Vermont, city manager William Fraser, informed the board Wednesday that he was dropping out.
With Capriola chosen, Guidera pointed to Storrs Center, a mixed-use housing and commercial development that reduced Mansfield’s tax burden on residential property owners, as a potential model for the type of tax-base development that would be appropriate for Amherst.
Capriola also built relationships with the University of Connecticut, which she can also do with the University of Massachusetts, Guidera said.
“She certainly has experience doing what Amherst needs,” Guidera said. “I’m pleased to see someone in this position who understands the challenges we face as a university-based community and can handle these issues.”
Aaron Hayden, who was on the Select Board when it named Musante to succeed retired town manager Larry Shaffer without a search in 2010, said he believes board members handled the decision well.
“I’m very appreciative for them being so careful and doing a good job,” Hayden said.
He added that Capriola will have number of responsibilities, from contract negotiations with collecting bargaining units to various projects. “There is a huge amount of stuff that is on the manager’s plate for the long term,” Hayden said.
Tony Maroulis, a member of the screening committee who works as director of external relations at UMass, said he believes Capriola will do well in Amherst.
“I think Maria is great. she is very bright, very articulate, and I certainly am excited to see her there,” Maroulis said. “I wish her the best.”
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
