Dalton Board to Interview Three Town Manager Candidates
DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board will be interviewing the three finalists for the town manager position on Monday.
Of the 22 applications received, the Town Manager Screening Committee put forward three finalists: Eric Anderson, Lisa Blackmer, and Jonathan Elwell.
According to Executive Assistant Lori Venezia, the candidates' names and resume became available for public knowledge as of Wednesday morning.
Starting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, the board will interview the candidates in open session, during which each will have an hour to present to the board. There will be a 15-minute intermission between interviews.
On Tuesday, the board will deliberate and decide who will be the next town manager. The chosen candidate, if they accept, will participate in a two-week training period with interim Town Manager Henry "Terry" Williams III.
Eric Anderson has six years experience as town administrator of his hometown, Andover, Conn., which has a population of about 3,200 residents and a select board form of government, similar to Dalton.
He has military experience and has served in town government, including chairing the Long-Term Planning Committee and the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Anderson holds a bachelor of science in biophysics and highlighted how his background is not traditional for a town manager, but emphasized that over the last six years he has excelled in his current role, spearheading initiatives including "the construction of a new Senior and Community Center, made major road infrastructure, complete streets upgrades."
Andover did this by maintaining a competitive mill [property tax] rate through proactive grant funding at state and federal levels and had a lot of success "by sharing services with other municipalities where the economies of scale act against smaller towns," his cover letter said.
Blackmer was the school business administrator for the North Berkshire School Union for three years and has experience in municipal finance, procurement, budgeting, and more.
Her resume showcases various roles she has held over the past 20 years, including positions in banking, nonprofit work, and public sector administration, such as treasurer, collector, accountant, and town administrator. She holds a master of business administration and a certificate in local government leadership and management.
Beyond financial municipal experience, Blackmer highlighted her time on the North Adams City Council from 2008 until present. She also served as the council's president and vice president, and as president of the Massachusetts Municipal Association.
Additionally, she has served in other board positions including a member of the North Adams Planning Board, the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Alumni Board and Foundation Board.
"My education and experience in the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the business and municipal environments make me uniquely qualified to be the town manager for the Town of Dalton," Blackmer said.
"I am committed to public service and am excited at the prospect of contributing to your dynamic team and look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience."
Elwell has more than 26 years experience working in local government and leadership positions in Vermont, Maine and Arizona, and holds a master of public administration degree.
He said he has cultivated experience in construction project management, historic preservation, financial management, commercial development, water and waste water issues, personnel management, grant administration, and electric utility management.
He has been village manager of Enosburg Falls, Vt., town manager of Manchester, Maine, and general manager of the Lyndon, Vt., Electrical Department.
"I view local government as having great capacity to positively affect peoples' lives, and I am committed to serving the public," his cover letter said.
"I have also worked at various levels of local government which has given me an appreciation for tasks performed in different areas and departments."
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