Council confirms slate of mayoral appointments, including Michael Curtin as interim fire leader and Samantha McGinnis for Church Street Marketplace

The Burlington City Council unanimously confirmed a slate of mayoral appointments presented June 9.

Mayor Mulvaney Stanek introduced Deputy Chief Michael Curtin as the mayor’s intended appointment for fire leadership and Samantha McGinnis as the intended director of the Church Street Marketplace. Curtin spoke briefly to thank the mayor, his colleagues and the Burlington Fire Fighters Association for their support. McGinnis, who formerly worked on place-making and public-space activation in Boston and has served in roles supporting downtown events and programming, introduced herself and described plans to work with downtown businesses and the Market Commission.

Councilor McKnight moved to confirm the slate; the motion received a second and carried unanimously. Councilors commended both appointees and thanked the mayor for the slate. The council then recessed and immediately convened as the City Council with the mayor presiding to complete the formal confirmation.

Why it matters: Confirmed department leadership provides continuity for public safety and downtown management during a period of administrative and operational changes (see the modern-gov presentation). Appointees were presented as internal or mission-aligned candidates intended to support retention and institutional knowledge.

What’s next: Curtin and McGinnis will be available for ongoing council questions about fire operations and marketplace management as the administration implements organizational changes.

Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the meeting record.