NAHANT — A resident with a background in homeland security has his sights set on a seat on the Board of Selectmen.
Carl Maccario, a 30-year resident, said he returned his nomination papers with the required 32 signatures to Town Clerk Margaret Barile on Thursday.
“Having been involved in emergency management, there are a lot of big issues facing Nahant,” said Maccario. “I wanted to get more involved in the town and try to contribute to making the right decisions and making this (town) the place that it should be.”
Maccario is the only candidate who has returned signed nomination papers for the position, currently held by Chesley Taylor, said Barile. Papers are still available to be picked up and are due back to the clerk’s office by Friday, March 8 at 5 p.m.
Maccario owns The Center of Nonverbal Communication, a specialized educational center focused on teaching the ability to recognize and interpret nonverbal cues. He worked as an investigator and auditor in the securities division of the Office of the Secretary of State in Massachusetts, specializing in audits and potential fraud.
He was trained by the Massachusetts State Police Academy and Essex County Sheriff’s Department in interview and interrogation techniques.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, Maccario began a career with Virgin Atlantic Airlines as a security analyst and passenger profiler and became fascinated with the field of nonverbal communication and cognitive questioning.
When the United States Congress created and enacted the Department of Homeland Security, Maccario returned to government service and began his career with the federal government in the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as deputy assistant federal security director. He helped to design, develop, and implement the first behavioral screening program for the U.S. aviation industry at Boston Logan International Airport.
In 2015, Maccario left his position to create his own business. He teaches clients in professional security and law enforcement and in sales and negotiation positions how to read nonverbal clues, about domain awareness, surveillance detection, and body language.
Because of his experience with emergency planning, Maccario also works with Nahant Emergency Management.
Maccario said he would like to see the town hire a grant writer on retainer. Nahant is a residential community without a commercial tax base. A grant writer would work more closely with the state delegation to find and apply for funding opportunities, he said.
“I don’t think it’s done on a consistent basis,” said Maccario. “It’s reactionary. We wait for a bad storm and say ‘we need that and we need that.’ We shouldn’t have to call in the National Guard and wait for them to get here. It’s a major concern for me.”
In addition to the town’s emergency preparedness, Maccario said he’s concerned with the aging infrastructure and the proposed expansion of Northeastern University’s Marine Science Center.
“The town’s current infrastructure can barely support what’s here now,” said Maccario. “The water system, the sewer system, the roads. They do great things with their science labs but I think they need to do more to support the town.”
If Northeastern is going to build on East Point, they should pay for improvements to the town’s infrastructure, in addition to some type of funding in lieu of taxes, said Maccario.
“I think the smart thing to do is sit down with them and get a design that’s acceptable to the residents and the town and make sure they give something back to the lobstermen in the town,” he said. “They should do something to help the lobstering industry.”
Voter registration deadline is Friday, April 5 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the town clerk’s office. Voting is April 27.
