SWAMPSCOTT — For new Town Administrator Nick Connors, who stepped into the role on Oct. 6, he plans to make an impact in the community by working collaboratively with its various departments, boards and committees to better understand its needs and challenges.
Connors previously served as the Assistant Town Administrator for the Town of Milton. Before his time in Milton, Connors also worked as the Principal for Breakwater Public Affairs, as well as the Deputy Commissioner for Public Affairs, Policy and Administration for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
“I think I’ve been very fortunate in the roles that I’ve had to be a part of teams that are executing on the goals and priorities of an elected official, a commissioner or Town Administrator,” Connors said about his past experiences, and how those helped prepare him for his new role in Swampscott.
He added that it’s been an opportunity to “learn a lot from folks, to learn from my peers, my colleagues, and to all get together to do our best.”
“The experience that I’ve had, both in state and local government, has really helped me get closer to understanding what a resident might want, what a stakeholder might want, and ask better questions so I can learn as much as possible about what people need,” Connors said. “And then, actually executing those actions is something that I find really enjoyable.”
After stepping into the role, he said that one of his first priorities was “getting to know the town.”
“It’s really about getting to know the staff that are here, understanding their priorities, their goals, and work to align that with the goals and priorities of the Select Board,” he said. “Like I said in the interview process, ‘We’re here to execute on behalf of the Select Board.’
“They’re the elected officials that lead the community. They’re the ones that the community has to put their trust in. We work very closely with them to make sure that what we’re doing every day aligns with that,” he said.
Connors continued, saying that the Town wants to provide “a high level of customer service,” and “it really is learning about the community, the staff, and building relations with the Select Board and other departments.” Another point he raised was making sure his colleagues and community members know that “I have an open door, I’m happy to chat. I need to learn from all of you.”
“I’m here to listen to what folks would like to see and do everything we can to provide a high level of service to them as well,” he said. “Across all of the goals (that the Select Board may have), it’s working with the staff and trying to align their efforts to make significant progress in each of those areas.”
He mentioned that he’s been busy getting acquainted with the different departments and committees to better understand every layer of the town and how it operates.
Connors said that the role transparency plays in building trust with residents is “critical.”
“In the interview process, the way I described was, ‘We need to share as much information, with context, as we can’ and that to me, is the difference between saying that we’re going to be transparent and actively trying to make sure people are properly informed,” he said.
He added that he wants to make sure residents or officials feel they have the opportunity to speak their piece rather than feeling relegated to three mere minutes during the public comment segment of a meeting.
“But it’s critical that people feel like they’re getting the information they need in a timely manner, with the context to understand it,” he said.
He elaborated on his hope to reflect the priorities and goals of the Select Board. “You should attend a meeting and have everything you need to make a decision that night. I’ve made a mistake if we’re sitting there and you’ve said, ‘Well, let’s come back in two weeks.'”
“Not because you need time to consider what you’ve heard, but because you feel like you just got the information — and it’s not my role to be making decisions between competing interests — it’s to provide information, sharing information to make informed decisions, or to execute a decision that’s been made, whether by Town Meeting or Select Board… We’re here to execute, we’re not here to dictate to the community what goes on.”
