HADLEY — Several months after the Select Board halted the process for hiring a permanent town administrator, a finalist from that search could be named to the position.
At the request of Interim Town Administrator Michael Mason, who is also the town’s police chief, the Select Board Wednesday again interviewed Nathaniel Malloy, Amherst’s assistant director of planning and economic development.
While no decisions were made, Mason explained the rationale for bringing Malloy back before the board, after the original process was canceled last June.
“I think the town deserves someone who can dedicate their full time and attention as the town administrator, as well as someone who can dedicate their full time and attention to being police chief,” Mason said.
Mason has been handling both roles since September 2024, when Town Administrator Carolyn Brennan retired.
One of the reasons the Select Board last spring opted against hiring either Malloy or the other finalist, then Williamsburg Town Administrator Nick Caccamo, was the town’s challenging financial situation, and the eventual vote on a Proposition 2½ tax-cap override.
While Mason said Hadley remains in a challenging financial position, town officials now have a better grasp of how to proceed, even with the failed override, layoffs and streamlined operations.
Malloy, who has worked in the Amherst planning office since 2008, said in the time since first being interviewed he has added the economic development responsibility to his workload.
“I like the planning world, I really like municipal government as well, and so that’s where I have my career,” Malloy said.
A western Massachusetts native who now lives in South Deerfield, Malloy has been taking various Massachusetts Municipal Association seminars and served on a state commission for micromobility that made recommendations to the Department of Transportation.
Malloy explained his views about being collegial and having professional relationships with colleagues, and how he doesn’t view disagreement as conflict, but rather appreciating that people will have different viewpoints.
In Amherst, Malloy has managed a team of five to six individuals, attended department head meetings and has worked with other departments, from accounting for procurement purposes to the assessors to identify properties with development potential.
Select Board member Amy Parsons said she appreciates that Malloy has not done town administrator work previously, and is willing to grow and learn with the town.
A longer-range vision for the town, rather than addressing immediate concerns, would also be brought to the position by Malloy, said board member Molly Keegan.
Malloy said best approach for the town of Hadley would be to find a sustainable approach to budgets.
“People may oppose some of the ideas, but if it’s leading to sustainability and growth, that’s really important,” Malloy said.
This is one of the most difficult financial times for the town in 40 or more years, board member David J. Fill II observed, and he would hope Malloy would come with an open mind.
Fill said he has also heard concerns from residents about whether Amherst values would be brought to Hadley. “Change is going to be part of moving forward, but that it’s not to look like our neighbors,” Fill said.
Malloy said there are lessons to be learned from neighboring communities and adapted to Hadley, but he understands the town needs to retain its own identity.
A decision will be made in the near future on whether to offer Malloy the job.
Senior Center director
In other business, the Select Board is also taking under advisement the appointment of Violet Suska as the director of the Senior Center. The program coordinator at the site since late 2017, Suska has been acting director since Nichelle “Niki” Liquori left the Council on Aging position last year.
Mason said Suska has been doing double duty that has helped to reduce spending on senior services.
“Violet has shown us that not only is she a phenomenal COA (director), but she also has some incredible skills at budget building,” Mason said.
Suska said she worked hard to craft a budget proposal that would merge responsibilities to be spread among the three remaining paid staff.
“That way we can manage to continue our great work to serve our seniors, our participants, and still provide five days of opening the center for them,” Suska said.
The budget proposal is a 3% reduction, down from around $193,000 this year to $187,000 next year, while maintaining programs
Assistant Town Administrator Jennifer Sanders James said the town will have to impact bargain with a union to allow the staffing changes to happen, since the program coordinator would be vacant. If the Select Board pursues this, those duties would be handled by the director until the town has sufficient money for both positions.
When Suska started in Hadley more than eight years ago, she brought 11 years of experience from a similar role in Chicopee.