Winthrop passes on Swampscott’s Maylor for town administrator post

SWAMPSCOTT – Swampscott Town Manager Andrew Maylor is not on his way to Winthrop.Maylor was one of three finalists for the town manager position in Winthrop but he is not the choice.Winthrop Council President Tom Reilly said he has selected James McKenna, a trial attorney and two-term administrative assistant to former Gloucester Mayor John Bell, to serve as the next town manager in Winthrop. Reilly confirmed McKenna accepted his offer to nominate him for the town manager position. The other finalist was Newburyport Mayor John Moak.”It was a very difficult decision,” Reilly said. “We had three highly qualified candidates.The initial list of 35-40 candidates was cut down to five people who were interviewed by the screening committee. The screening committee then recommended three finalists to Reilly, who under the town charter would make a recommendation to the full council. The council will decide whether to ratify the candidate Reilly recommended. The nine-member council is expected to meet Tuesday to take action on the nomination.Reilly said he expects the council to ratify the nomination.”The feedback I have received from the council and people who sat in on the interview, is there is a broad base of support for Mr. McKenna,” Reilly said. “It’s been a long process but I’m pleased with the results.”In November 2005, Maylor was one of three finalists for the town manager position in Winthrop before withdrawing his name. In previous interviews he said he withdrew his name from consideration for the position in Winthrop at that time because the two other finalists withdrew and there was a lot of uncertainty about how the search for the first town manger in the history of the community would proceed.Even though he did not get the job in Winthrop, Maylor may be headed out of town sooner than later. Scituate selectmen announced the names of four finalists for the town administrator position in that town on Wednesday. Town Administrator Andrew Maylor, Mashpee Assistant Town Manager Rene Read, Stoughton Town Manager Mark Stankiewicz and Patricia A. Vinchesi, who is the deputy director of Springfield’s finance control board, are the four finalists.According to Scituate Board of Selectmen Chairman Joe Norton, there were more than 40 applicants and nine were selected for interviews. Norton said the four finalists would be interviewed by the selectmen on June 2. Scituate Town Administrator Rick Agnew is retiring on June 30 and Norton said he hopes the next town administrator could start in July.