Board wraps up Town Admin interviews

Board wraps up Town Admin interviews

Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer
TEMPLETON — The Board of Selectmen have concluded their interviews of the four candidates vying to become the town’s first full-time Town Administrator and will make their decision in the coming weeks.

To preserve consistency, the selectmen posed the same ten questions to each candidate, with the same member asking the identical questions in every interview. The meetings were taped but not shown on public access television to prevent applicants from gaining an upper hand.

The first candidate was former Athol Town Manager Michael Szlosek who worked in Athol for two years before leaving due to the town’s residency restrictions. A resident of Ludlow, Mr. Szlosek also served as Town Manager of Uxbridge from 2009 to 2011, and as Ludlow’s Town Administrator from 2004 to 2008.

Mr. Szlosek described his management style as “collaborative” and focused on building relationships. He said he prefers the more behind-the-scenes role of a administrator, as opposed to a Town Manager, who is often the public face of the municipal government.


He cited his recent experiences with Athol’s budget problems as an advantage if he should come to Templeton, and noted that he had worked extensively with the Massachusetts School Building Authority while Uxbridge built a new high school.

Mr. Szlosek said that he would strive for transparency on the job, stating that “sunshine is the best disinfectant”.

Next, the board interviewed Edward MacDonald, who previously worked as the Town Administrator in Chester from 2009 to 2013.

While in Chester, Mr. MacDonald said he worked with the state Department of Revenue to close a $385,000 gap in their budget.

Maintaining a good rapport with the public, Mr. MacDonald said he would have an open-door policy while in the office and that he prefers more of a hands-off management style — although he would micromanage if needed. Citing efficiency and crisis management experience as his strengths, Mr. MacDonald said he has a good working relationship with legislators on Beacon Hill and is not afraid to work long hours on the job.

The third candidate was Steven Boudreau who worked as the Town Manager of Ware and also held Town Administrator positions in Wrentham, Charlton, West Brookfield and Webster.

The current Administrative Coordi-nator with the town of Petersham, Mr. Boudreau said he fell in love with local government while attending Town Meetings and was a Selectmen for his hometown in Westford for three years.

Mr. Boudreau lives in Barre and said his extensive experience made him a good fit for Templeton.

“It’s brain surgery,” he said. “So you better be hiring a brain surgeon.”

Another purveyor of transparency, Mr. Boudreau said he would greet a member of the public as the person paying the bills and would work to put as much information out to residents as possible.

As a manager, Mr. Boudreau said he trusted department heads to run their operations professionally and without waste, but he would also set expectations when needed.

Fred Ventresco of Wilmington, VT. was the last to be interviewed. He has worked as the Town Manager of Wilmington for seven months — leaving the post in October 2011.

He currently works in Keene, NH., but has held Town Administrator and Manager positions in both New Hampshire and Maine.

Describing himself as knowledgeable and well-rounded, Mr. Ventresco said he loves his profession and hopes he can add value to a community like Templeton. After working in New England for most of his life, Mr. Ventresco said he has a good feel for the different governing styles and municipal laws between states and did not anticipate any challenges transitioning to Massachusetts.

In a management position, Mr. Ventresco said he would “lead by example” and would ease department heads into reporting to a town administrator.

“If you have a way you want people to act and conduct themselves, you have to be a part of that too,” said Mr. Ventresco.

Templeton Select Board Chairman Kenn Robinson said the board would now need to convene and review the candidate’s scores before making a decision or scheduling a second round of interviews.

All four interviews will be shown on public access television. Town Administrator Bob Markel, who was hired on an interim basis in early February, will leave the town’s service next month, at the end of the fiscal year.