SOUTH DEERFIELD — About 25 residents gathered in the town office building to observe as the three-member Selectboard interviewed candidates vying for the town administrator position.
The candidates are former Deerfield Town Administrator Kayce Warren, South Hadley Selectman Ira Brezinsky, who owns a small business in Greenfield and Brattleboro, Vt., and Natasha Nau, former town administrator of Columbia, Conn., which has a population of about 5,000 people, around the same as Deerfield.
The interviews came following the departure of interim Town Administrator Douglas Finn, who left the position a few months ago for a job on Martha’s Vineyard. Since then, the town has accepted applications for the position. Of about 10 initial applicants, the Selectboard interviewed six and narrowed the applicants down to four. One of them dropped out Monday, before the public interviews.
One after another, the Selectboard members posed questions to the candidates such as “how to find the town’s strengths and weaknesses,” “the importance of performance evaluations,” and “what’s the candidate’s experience with Town Administrator duties.”
Selectman Trevor McDaniel said the town is looking for an administrator who’s good at communicating, and is able to relay information between different committees. Selectman Henry “Kip” Komosa said “it’s important that whoever gets this job … knows where to find the answers.”
In response to a question about qualifications, Brezinsky said his “resume is very different from most applicants to a job like this.” Along with more than 30 years of business experience, Brezinsky has “decades of experience on the government side, working with groups both elected and appointed — from 10 years on our school committee, to six years on our appropriation committee, to the last four years on the Selectboard — I’ve seen every angle, without being paid for it.”
Warren said she would bring a well-rounded approach to local government, and highlighted her knowledge of Deerfield’s history. Warren worked in the town’s government for 17 years, working as administrative assistant and interim town administrator, before taking an interim town administrator position in Ashfield in February 2014.
“I have a great deal of experience in municipal government, not the least of which is in Deerfield,” she said, adding, “I’m one of those people who doesn’t leave when they probably should.”
Nau related that, if hired, she’d bring “an energy that’s insane,” and a passion for local government that started at an early age with “a desire to help people.” That passion, she continued, was a big reason why she became a volunteer firefighter at age 16.
Of note, the candidates differed in opinion slightly about the town’s priorities: If hired, Warren said her perspective “depends entirely on the information you can gather in the first two weeks you’re here.” One obvious project that requires immediate attention, she continued, is Stillwater Bridge; however, other infrastructure projects, including repairs to the wastewater treatment plants, require a more in-depth investigation to accurately prioritize. She also said “the human element” is important.
“The budget drives priorities — you kind of have to look at every spectrum,” Nau said about the same question, highlighting the Tilton Library remodeling project, and ongoing maintenance of Highway Department vehicles. Nau also noted “there are some (building) vacancies going on in town,” which provide an opportunity to bring in new business.
Throughout the interview Brezinsky highlighted the importance of listening before acting.
“Communication is very important,” he said, “especially in town government, and it’s particularly important in regards to what we’re talking about here.”
Selectboard Chairwoman Carolyn Shores Ness said she hopes a decision will come within the next few weeks. Wendy Foxmyn, who is currently filling in as administrator, will leave at the end of the month.
Brezinsky Resume by Andy Christian on Scribd
Nau Resume by Andy Christian on Scribd
Warren Resume by Andy Christian on Scribd