NAHANT — Gerry Perry of Swampscott will temporarily fill the position vacated by former Town Administrator Jeffrey Chelgren.
Perry, the former deputy commissioner of the state Department of Revenue, will be appointed as the town’s interim town administrator at Town Hall Thursday night at the Board of Selectmen’s meeting.
“We had a couple of people in mind, but he felt like the right fit,” said selectman Enzo Barile.
Perry could not be reached by phone before deadline Wednesday.
He will take over for Chelgren, who was placed on paid administrative leave two weeks ago. Chelgren later filed a letter of resignation, said Barile.
Chelgren accepted the job in March 2015. His three-year contract is not set to expire until June 2018. He will continue to be paid throughout the remainder of his contract, said Barile.
Before his time in Nahant, Chelgren, of Lynn, served as the town administrator of Marblehead, where he resigned about four months before his three-year contract expired.
Town Hall staff and members of the Board of Selectmen have stepped in with day-to-day tasks in his absence.
In 2012, Perry was in the running for the Swampscott town administrator position, but the Board of Selectmen chose Thomas Younger instead. In addition to his deputy commission position, the Nahant native also served as the director of accounts at the Department of Revenue.
“He’s a numbers guy,” said Barile. “He’s very talented.”
After Perry steps in Thursday, a search committee will get to work to find a permanent manager for the town, said Barile.
