Finalist Ryan Egan interviews for Brookfield town administrator; emphasizes hands‑on leadership and recruitment focus

The Select Board and interview committee questioned finalist Ryan Egan about his municipal experience, priorities for a small community and how he would support an understaffed highway department. Introduced by the chair as the town administrator candidate, Ryan Egan described a decade of municipal service and his current role as executive/chief of staff in Gardner. “We're always gonna be ready for the snow,” Egan said when asked how he would support a near‑vacant highway department during winter.

Egan said he favors centralizing some responsibilities in the town administrator’s office while preserving civic engagement through boards and committees; he recommended weekly board reports, heads‑up communications for emergencies and establishing shared goals with the select board. On recruitment and retention, he cited options such as paying for license training (CDLs), refreshing job descriptions and pursuing grants and legislative earmarks to fund projects without overburdening the town’s tax base. Egan said he would seek at least a three‑year contract and intends to be in‑person and hands‑on if hired.

Board members pressed about open meeting law constraints, finances and whether the TA role should consolidate duties currently performed by volunteers. Egan said he would present recommendations to the board for job‑description changes and asked the board to define how centralized they wanted the position to be. He also described prior experience with union negotiations and grant management in larger communities and said he would prioritize stability and planning in Brookfield.

The interview closed with the committee thanking Egan; the board took a short recess before resuming deliberations on appointment timing.