WILIAMSBURG – Town officials have assembled a search committee to help hire the next town administrator.
Charlene Nardi, who has served as town administrator since 2011, is set to leave to become Northampton’s new finance director. Her last day on the job is May 20.
“Williamsburg is going to do great with their next person,” said Nardi, in an interview. “We have a lot of good people working in Williamsburg.”
Applicants for the job have until April 16 to submit applications. The search committee of eight people, approved by the Select Board on Thursday, will recommend three candidates at the Select Board’s meeting on April 22 for the Select Board to interview. The eight search committee candidates were brought to the board by Nardi.
“The eight names here in my mind are very very good people to do this,” said Select Board member William Sayres.
The Select Board also named Charles Dudek, who serves on the finance committee, as chairman of the search committee. The other members are Amy Bisbee, Jason Connell, Jean O’Neil, Paul Wetzel, Police Chief Denise Wickland, Melissa Wilson and Lisa Sheehy
The three finalists will be interviewed by the Select Board in a public meeting on April 26, beginning at 2 p.m. The Select Board will then meet again on April 28 in another public meeting, beginning at 9 a.m., to discuss the candidates, with plans to make an offer to one of them. The plan is to have a new town administrator in place by May 17.
So far, two applicants have applied for the job. Nardi noted the importance of personality with a future hire at Thursday’s Select Board meeting.
“Personality makes a huge difference,” she said.
Select Board member Denise Banister said that it’s important to select someone who is “willing to do things the way we do it in this town and not try to change our town into whatever town they happen to be from.”
Select Board member David Mathers, meanwhile, noted that Nardi has often performed like a town manager, with the board’s approval, and that it is important that whoever takes the job doesn’t think they can assume such a role without permission. “That’s not what we’re advertising,” he said.
Nardi also agreed to draft for the search committee the qualities the Select Board is looking for in a town administrator, which the board would then weigh in on.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.