NORTHFIELD — Thirty-five-year-old Willie Morales of Springfield remembers his first visit to Northfield. At the time, he was just passing through, on his way to an open air theater show in Vermont with his family just last summer.
Yet, the “beautiful community” left a lasting impression on him, making the then-Sandisfield town administrator think it would be a great place to work. Meeting Brain Noble, Northfield administrator at the time, through the Small Town Administrators of Massachusetts group only reaffirmed Morales’ feelings.
“He spoke so highly of the people and of the town, and it kind of made me fall in love with it,” Morales said.
When Noble left Northfield for a position in Acushnet at the end of December, Morales applied to be interim town administrator and was a finalist, but the Selectboard unanimously voted to offer the position to Paul Boushell.
Still, when it came time to select a permanent town administrator, Morales threw his hat in the ring once again, this time to his benefit. According to Town Secretary Sandra Wood, a panel made up of Wood, Selectwoman Tracy Rogers, Finance Committee Chairwoman Lois Stearns, Police Chief Robert Leighton, Bethany Walker of the Board of Assessors and Dickinson Memorial Library Director Deb Kern chose Morales earlier this month as Northfield’s new town administrator, much to Morales’ delight.
“I guess what’s destined to be yours is destined to be yours, because here I am,” he said.
Wood said Morales was selected from 15 applicants, including Boushell, with interviews starting in early May. Morales and Leonard Crossman, a former Northfield police chief, were the two finalists, according to Selectboard Chairman Jack Spanbauer.
“Both had good interviews, but Willie’s experience won the day,” Spanbauer said.
Morales has been Sandisfield’s town administrator since August, acting as Monterey’s town administrator concurrently from November to February. While studying at the University of Northern Iowa, he was city manager in Hudson, Iowa, for about two years. He earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a concentration in business, a master’s degree in public policy with a concentration in government, and a certificate in industrial and organizational psychology all from the University of Northern Iowa, finishing in 2015.
Spanbauer also appreciated Morales being a certified purchasing officer, giving him the authority to recommend purchases and contracts.
“He’ll be very helpful to us in that regard,” Spanbauer said.
The process for selecting a permanent town administrator allowed for a more extensive look at the candidates, Spanbauer said, whereas in December the town had only a few weeks to find an interim.
“We thought Willie’s experience was more applicable than what Paul had been offering,” Spanbauer said, noting that Boushell also wasn’t a certified purchasing officer. “We enjoyed working with Paul, but we found we needed some more experience.”
As for Morales, he said Northfield made him feel at home while offering a “very steady management profile.”
“I have kind of developed a specialty of rebounding towns that are not doing so well,” he said. “I feel really blessed to be given a town that’s already doing well and helping it get to another level.”
Sandisfield also wasn’t able to offer a full-time position until recently, something Morales said he was looking for.
Morales will start as town administrator on July 10 with a $92,000 salary, Spanbauer said. In the meantime, Spanbauer said he, Wood and other town officials are chipping in around town hall, as Boushell left in late May.
“We’re looking forward to him starting and hitting the ground running,” Spanbauer said. Morales will continue projects Noble started, such as capital improvements at Northfield Elementary School and redoing Town Hall’s drainage, parking lot and electrical.
Morales plans to connect with town officials and residents, make sure the budget cycle continues to be steady and precise, and work with committees to “generate an operation of the town that is stellar.”
Reach Shelby Ashline at: sashline@recorder.com
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