NAHANT — Community members and elected officials gathered at Knights of Columbus to bid Town Administrator Tony Barletta farewell, who leaves for Manchester-by-the-Sea on June 27.
The ceremony was filled with people who came to show their support for Barletta, who first stepped into the role back in 2018. Aside from getting together and commemorating the milestone for Barletta, he was also presented with a customized plaque to honor his contributions to the town, courtesy of the Nahant Police Department.
Chair of the Select Board Rob Tibbo noted that Barletta will be “nearly impossible to replace.
“I think it’s a huge loss for Nahant, and a huge win for Manchester-by-the-Sea,” Tibbo said. “He has the greatest personality, he gets along great with all of our town employees. … He’s been excellent at helping manage our finances, and he’s nearly impossible to replace with all the things that make him what he is.”
U.S. Rep Sean Reid said that “while we’re sad to see him go, we know he’s onto other pastures.
“We wish Tony (Barletta) the best of luck. … He’s been a great partner, a great communicator, and he’s just someone who gets things done,” Reid said. “He’ll be hard to replace, and we wish him well.”
Reid then commented on what he would hope to see from the next Town Administrator.
“I think it’s, obviously, a very challenging job — maybe one of the toughest jobs in government — and I know there’s a lot of great candidates out there. … We hope that we get someone much like Tony (Barletta), someone who gets things done and takes challenges head on. I’m confident that the search committee will do a great job in getting the right person in there,” Reid said.
Select Board member Pat O’Reilly also shared his confidence in Barletta’s next professional endeavors.
“Tony’s done a great job here in Nahant, and I don’t doubt that he will go on to do a great job in Manchester-by-the-Sea,” O’Reilly said.
“Nahant is my hometown, and this experience has meant the world to me,” Barletta said. “All the people here, and this team, work so well together. They truly support each other, and have supported me. … I’ve always said it’s not just one person who gets it done. Not one person can achieve success on their own — and it’s truly a team effort here.”
Barletta continued, “Everybody steps up and goes the extra mile to help each other out. Their support has meant the world to me, and I’m going to miss these people.”
Finance Director Alison Nieto will serve as the Interim Town Administrator for the time being once Barletta leaves the position, until the Town Administrator Search Committee hires the next person to take the job.
