NAHANT — His service as town administrator spanned three decades, and now Mark Cullinan is interested in a Board of Selectmen’s seat.
“Now feels like the right time to again serve the citizens of Nahant. What the town needs is a leader who understands the many challenges the town faces, and who has the depth and breadth of experience to face these challenges head-on, in a collaborative and productive way,” Cullinan said in a statement announcing his candidacy.
The third-generation town resident tied his announcement to Board Vice Chairman Francis “Enzo” Barile’s resignation two weeks ago. Barile resigned from the board effective last Friday.
Cullinan said he is ready to hit the ground running in service to the town if he wins election to the vacant seat.
“Organizational leadership, sound guidance, strong fiscal management and effective negotiating skills are what I bring to the table,” he said.
Cullinan’s LinkedIn page lists him as a senior fellow for the Conservation Law Foundation, a regional environmental organization based in Boston, since 2017. He previously worked as a Foundation project manager after retiring from the town administrator’s job in 2011.
Cullinan served as town administrator for 17 years. His announcement lists local issues he worked on, including “aging infrastructure, coastal flooding, and negotiations with Northeastern University over its proposed Marine Science Center expansion.”
Cullinan listed his accomplishments as administrator, including “preparing and administering 16 consecutive balanced budgets without layoffs or service reductions; reducing property taxes from $14.30 to $9.53 per thousand dollars of assessed value; and reducing the town’s indebtedness from 14 percent to 6 percent of budgeted revenues.”
Cullinan held jobs in state government between 1984 and 1995, serving as the Commonwealth’s Director of Planning and Construction from 1987 to 1995, and as a Senior Project Manager with the State’s Department of Environmental Management, from 1984 to 1987.
He holds a bachelor of science degree in Environmental Design from the University of Massachusetts, and a master’s degree in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In announcing his resignation, Barile said he wanted to spend more time with his family and his local auto repair business.
