SOUTH HADLEY — A three-member committee will review candidates for the next police chief who is expected to take office Oct. 1, according to Town Administrator Michael Sullivan.
Members of the committee are Town Accountant William Sutton, the town’s human resources director Jennifer Wolowicz and Maynard Police Chief Mark W. Dubois.
Sullivan named the panel and will interview the finalists before forwarding his pick to the Select Board for approval.
The current chief, David J. LaBrie, is retiring in July and Lt. Steve Parentela will step in as interim chief.
Sullivan in his previous job as town administrator of Maynard appointed Dubois as police chief. Sullivan said this week that he was “very impressed” by him and regretted that they only got to work together for a short time before Sullivan left for South Hadley.
The job will be posted in July with interviews in August, Sullivan said. He plans to his bring his choice to the Select Board on Sept. 19, and if approved, the new chief would start in October.
This will the third police chief hired by Sullivan in three different communities. As mayor of Holyoke, Sullivan hired now-retired chief Anthony Scott from Rock Island, Illinois.
Dubois came to Maynard from Shrewsbury.
Sullivan said he plans to advertise the position with an annual salary “not to exceed” $134,000 and that LaBrie is paid $133,000.
Sullivan said last month that among the qualifications he wants in a new chief are “somebody who understands the needs of a midsize town with a college influence.”
Other important qualifications include experience relevant to dealing with the opioid crisis “that every nook and cranny of Massachusetts is suffering through,” and understanding the changing technology of police work, according to Sullivan.
Eric Goldscheider can be reached at eric.goldscheider@gmail.com.