HEATH — After nearly nine years on the job, Heath’s well-known and beloved Town Coordinator Kara Leistyna is stepping down.
Leistyna is leaving her post to start a new administrative position in Dining Services at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, she said.
Raised in upstate New York, Leistyna and her family moved to Heath in 2009. Though relatively new to town, Leistyna is familiar with the region, having earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from UMass Amherst and then moved to Whately.
Leistyna previously worked for the town of Amherst, as well as in hospitality and human resources. She spent about a year working as a volunteer coordinator for AmeriCorps, helping to organize training sessions for Safe Passage, an organization supporting domestic violence victims.
Two years after moving to Heath, Leistyna learned about the available town coordinator position. Holding an administrative job in Northampton at the time, she saw the position as an opportunity to “get to know Heath and become involved” — and nearly eliminate her commute.
“The short walk to work in comparison was an enticing lure,” Leistyna said.
When she became coordinator, Leistyna said the position “was not clearly defined.” She said she “jumped into” the role, supporting the Selectboard and coordinating with other towns to ensure Heath’s government ran smoothly.
Under Leistyna’s stewardship, Heath made progress in a myriad of ways. Efforts to install broadband have nearly come to fruition, the town has a new website, and its municipal buildings have WiFi and are reorganized. Heath also became a Green Community this year, receiving about $130,000 to spend on improving the town’s energy efficiency.
The current Selectboard praised Leistyna for her work as coordinator. Chairman Brian DeVriese called her a “quick learner,” and “extremely well organized,” adding that she was “doing the job with little assistance in a matter of a few weeks.”
Selectwoman Gloria Cronin Fisher offered similar words of admiration, calling Leistyna “a gem.” Despite the difficulties of the job, she continued, Leistyna “does it pleasantly and personably” with a “keen sense of humor.”
While Leistyna said she is looking forward to learning a new job, she admitted she will miss “daily interactions” with her neighbors, the townspeople of Heath.
“We have a special town inhabited by some very devoted, knowledgeable and hard-working people who are passionate about Heath and committed to keeping it vital,” Leistyna said.
She added that Heath is facing some challenges at the moment, and hopes the community can come together to do “what’s best for the town.”
“I look forward to staying involved as an informed and engaged citizen,” Leistyna said.
The Selectboard is hiring a new town coordinator and is currently advertising for the position.
Reach Grace Bird at gbird@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 280.