BUCKLAND — The Selectboard welcomed the town’s new treasurer/collector, promoted a Highway Department laborer to foreman and added another Highway Department worker in a flurry of personnel changes Wednesday night.
Having started work on Feb. 28, Treasurer/Collector Cara Leach stopped by the Selectboard meeting for an official introduction.
“I’m just thrilled to be a part of Team Buckland,” Leach told the Selectboard. “I’m thrilled to learn more about the town and how everything works.”
She replaces the previous treasurer/collector, Lisa Blackmer, who left the position at the end of January for a job as business administrator for the North Berkshire School Union.
Town Administrator Heather Butler said “we are very blessed” to have found Leach in such a short period after Blackmer left.
Leach, who has lived in Buckland for several years, said she was running her own business that ended up closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has been doing bookkeeping for local businesses in the time since then.
“COVID changed things,” she said outside the meeting. “I’m thrilled it did — it brought up this opportunity.”
With no prior experience in municipal business, Leach said her experience working with the town has been “great” thus far and her coworkers have been supportive as she gets her bearings.
As for the Highway Department, the Selectboard promoted Anthony Gutierrez to the foreman position as the town replaces former foreman Jake Purinton, who took a job elsewhere on Jan 1.
Two current highway employees applied for the foreman position and Gutierrez was tapped as the leader.
“He’s shown a lot of progress and initiative,” Butler said. “I think he will do a great job.”
“It was quite the round robin of interviews we did that day. I think Anthony did very well,” said Selectboard member Clint Phillips.
The Selectboard also authorized the hiring of Derek Giard, who joins the Highway Department from Colrain. Butler said Giard will be a “terrific asset.”
“He brings a lot of enthusiasm and know-how, and there isn’t anything he couldn’t take apart and fix, and boy, do we have some projects for him,” Butler said. “His first assignment will be snow plowing, so welcome Derek.”
After the meeting, Butler said the Highway Department is a “thankless position” that the town requires “a tremendous amount” from, and the town’s employees are very dedicated.
“They are a small group, but they work so hard and they are so committed to doing a good job,” she said. “If we can add a few more hard workers, it will be great, but I’m really confident the crew we have is going to make a tremendous difference.”
Phillips said the town will probably be looking for one or two more Highway Department employees in the near future, but for now, he’s happy the town was able to fill a few vacancies.
“Team Buckland is growing,” he said.
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.