Three Finalists Announced For Burlington Town Administrator

After months of searching the New Town Administrator Search Committee has come up with three candidates to be considered by the Board of Selectmen.

On Monday night search committee chair Brad Bond and Burlington Human Resources Director Joanne Faust presented the list of the finalists to the Board of Selectmen. In total, they said, the committee interviewed seven candidates selected by the Edwards J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management, a public entity based at UMass Boston hired by the town to conduct the new town administrator search. Current Town Administrator on June 1, following the passing of the FY'13 budget.

"Thanks to Collins Center and to Joanne Faust for helping us through all this," Bond told the board. "And a big thanks to the selectmen, we could not have put together a better team to work on this. The Collins Center said it was the best committee it has ever worked with."

The three candidates will be interviewed by the Board of Selectmen in a special meeting next Monday, April 2 at 6 p.m. The three are, with some information from their resumes, as follows:

Robert J. Halpin, President of the Newton Needham Chamber of Commerce. Halpin also has experience in town government leadership. He was the Town Manager in Westford from 1985 to 1995 followed by a position as the North Andover Town Manager from 1995 to 2000. He was also the President/CEO at Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council, Inc. from 2000 to 2010 and the Principal at the Massachusetts Smart Grid Innovators Collaborative for a year before taking his current position.

Halpin has a BA in Community Planning and Management from UMass Boston and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Suffolk University.

John D. Petrin, Ashland Town Manager since 2005. Petrin has a variety of community government experience. He was the Park Commission in Bellingham from 1980 to 1985. He was also the Town Administrator for Pepperell from 1985 to 1988 and had the same position in Harvard from 1988 to 2001. Petrin was also the Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Marlborough from 2001 to 2005.

Petrin has a BA in political science from Stonehill College and a Masters in Public Administration from Northeastern University.

Mark S. Stankiewicz, Plymouth Town Manager since 2009. Stankiewicz also has considerable experience in town government. From 1985 to 1987 he was the Town Planner in East Haddam, Conn., and then became the Assistant Town Manager of Killingly, Conn. from 1987 to 1988 followed by a stint in the same position in Norwich, Conn. that he held until 1993. Stankiewicz fist became a Town Administrator in Webster in 1993 and then held the same title in Stoughton in 2003 until taking on his current position. 

Stankiewicz holds a BA in political science and a Masters of Public Administration, both from the University of Connecticut, Storrs.

Chair of the Board of Selectmen Walter Zenkin said he was very happy with the candidates and the work of the search committee.

"When this board put this group together, I felt very confident," he said. "Richard Kobayashi from the Collins Center called me on Friday to say how impressed he was, but I knew it already. I never had any doubts in my mind. Thank you for taking time out of your lives to do this for the community."

The members of the committee are:

• Town Committee: Brad Bond, Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee
• Financial: Paul Sagarino, Burlington Town Accountant
• Business/Town Meeting: David Icken, General Manager of
• Schools: Dr. Eric Conti, Superintendent of Schools
• Town Operations: John Sanchez, Superintendent of Public Works
• Mark Delaney: Resident
• Wendy Zarella: Resident
• Melissa Robinson: Resident - Alternate