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Clinton Select Board interviews two finalists for town administrator
Summary
The Select Board heard from Search Committee representative Dr. Myers and two finalists — Karyn Clark and Alex McGee — who emphasized collective bargaining experience, fiscal planning and community engagement; the board will review evaluations and discuss candidates at its next meeting.
The Clinton Select Board interviewed two finalists for town administrator on March 31 as Search Committee representative Dr. Myers briefed members on the committee’s screening process. Dr. Myers said 21 applications were received, the pool was scored and narrowed to five, four candidates were interviewed by the committee, and two advanced to Select Board interviews.
Karyn Clark, a candidate with extensive bargaining experience, told the board she has negotiated across multiple bargaining units — "police, dispatch, office assistants, library, DPW, cafeteria, facilities, and teachers" — and said she "has never required legal counsel at the table," preferring memoranda of agreement or cleanup language in subsequent rounds. Clark emphasized transparent communication to rebuild public trust after the pandemic, proposed regular town manager updates and suggested launching a Citizens Academy to increase civic engagement. She also discussed the master plan timeline, communication expectations and the process for filling the Assistant Town Administrator vacancy, and said she has deep personal ties to Clinton and a strong motivation to serve her hometown.
Alex McGee, the other finalist, described more than 13 years in Massachusetts municipal government with roles in Lowell, Hamilton, Arlington and Andover. McGee identified major local fiscal and economic challenges — including Proposition 2½ constraints, the closure of the Jabil plant, and downtown revitalization — and outlined a collaborative leadership approach that includes weekly department head meetings, an open-door policy and an emphasis on mentoring staff. He also highlighted financial management experience with GFOA-style budgets, long-range planning and parallel capital and operating budgeting, and flagged existing staffing gaps as a priority.
Chair Julie Perusse explained that questions would be rotated among board members and that evaluation sheets were provided for the Select Board to use in its deliberations. HR reported that references had been conducted and were favorable; the board instructed HR and legal counsel to determine what reference materials and personally identifiable information may be released. The Select Board will discuss the candidates at its next meeting using the provided evaluation materials.
The meeting concluded with no formal vote on the candidates. The board adjourned at 9:06 p.m.
