Published in the November 1, 2017 edition
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — About a month after being offered the Scituate town administrator job, Town Administrator Jim Boudreau has accepted the position and will be returning to the South Shore.
Selectmen Chairman Chris Barrett confirmed the long-anticipated announcement in an email sent to the Villager.
“Lynnfield Town Administrator Jim Boudreau gave the Board of Selectmen official notice of his resignation from the position of town administrator for the town of Lynnfield, effective Dec. 31, 2017,” said Barrett. “We greatly appreciate his impressive service to the town of Lynnfield and wish him the very best in his new position as Scituate town administrator.”
Boudreau outlined his decision to take the Scituate town administrator job in a phone interview with the Villager.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was a personal decision for me,” said Boudreau. “I enjoy working here. We have good boards, good department heads and it’s a good town. My original plan was to move up to this area, but things change. I have three young children and I need to be closer to home. I wasn’t looking for a job, but the Scituate position was a good fit for me because it’s a very good and well-run community.”
Boudreau succeeded former Town Administrator Bill Gustus, who retired in January 2015 after serving the town for 13 years. Boudreau served as Norwell’s town administrator for 16 years before taking the Lynnfield job. He was one of three candidates interviewed for the Scituate town administrator position.
With Boudreau slated to leave town at the end of the year, the Board of Selectmen recently voted to create a search committee to begin searching for a new town administrator. In addition to Barrett, the search committee consists of Town Moderator Arthur Bourque, School Committee member and Recreation Commission Chairman Rich Sjoberg, former Selectman David Nelson, and local residents Natasha Anderson, David Basile and Donna Hegan.
Finance Committee and MarketStreet Advisory Committee member Gene Covino will serve as the search committee’s alternate member. Covino will be participating in interviews, but will not be voting on recommending candidates for the Board of Selectmen to consider. Covino would become a voting member if another full member drops out of the process.
Barrett said recently the search committee will recommend three finalists to the selectmen.
“The Lynnfield Board of Selectmen is eager to begin the process to fill (Boudreau’s) position and is looking to schedule a meeting as soon as possible to discuss our next steps to fill this important position,” said Barrett. “We already appointed a Town Administrator Search Committee to help us find the very best candidates for us to consider to lead the town of Lynnfield.”
