LYNNFIELD — Town Treasurer/Collector Leslie Davidson said she has a confident hand on Lynnfield’s financial till thanks to outgoing Treasurer Christine O’Sullivan’s help.
“We had a great transition from Christine to me and everything is going extremely well,” said Davidson. “It was extremely smooth. Things were in tip-top shape when I arrived.
“Christine really kept top-shelf records, so nothing was out of place,” she said. “She ran a pretty good ship, so there really have been no real challenges,” Davidson said.
Davidson spent about 10 days starting last Oct. 21 in a transition period working with O’Sullivan before officially assuming the position Nov. 1.
She brings significant experience to the town’s top financial post. Davidson served as Town of Marblehead treasurer/collector in 2018 and 2019 and previously worked more than five years in financial oversight posts in the Town of Wenham.
She was assistant treasurer/collector, treasurer/collector and served as town finance director. She also has private sector and federal financial management experience.
Jumping from Wenham to Marblehead to Lynnfield was easy for Davidson.
“Municipalities follow the same laws, it’s just there might be different ways of getting there from community to community. Those communities are quite similar to Lynnfield although Marblehead is a bit bigger and Wenham is slightly smaller,” she said.
Davidson said she learned about the Lynnfield job opening through a posting on the Massachusetts Municipal Association website.
“I thought it was time for a change and the position looked very attractive,” said Davidson. “I came in for an interview a couple of weeks after I applied and then, after a second interview, I guess I was the only finalist before the Board of Selectmen. I guess they thought I was the best fit. The people here are great and have been very welcoming.”
She is the second woman to be named recently to top town jobs.
Linda Emerson was the unanimous choice of the Board of Selectmen to succeed Trudy Reid as Lynnfield Town Clerk, who resigned in November to accept the town clerk’s position for the town of North Andover.
The board interviewed Emerson, the assistant town clerk in Rockport, and finalist Melissa Ripley, the assistant town clerk in Melrose, during its Jan. 14 meeting. Emerson comes to Lynnfield with 28 years of municipal experience in various capacities under her belt.
