NAHANT — Acting Town Administrator Alison Nieto has been appointed as the next town administrator after it was voted on by the Select Board during its Wednesday night meeting. Nieto’s next step is to enter negotiations with Town Attorney Dan Skrip.
Select Board Chair Rob Tibbo explained during the meeting that the Town Administrator Search Committee initially received 22 applications for the position, though as the process continued, the number began to whittle down.
“The Committee reviewed all resumes and cover letters and (eventually) removed 16 candidates from consideration, leaving them with six candidates,” Tibbo said. “Of the six candidates, one was involved in a serious accident and informed the Committee that he was not physically able to proceed further in this process.”
“A second candidate did not return essay responses, as he was preoccupied and eventually hired as a town administrator for a neighboring community… They did receive essay responses from the other four candidates,” he added, noting the Committee chose to move forward with the four candidates.
Tibbo continued, noting that the Committee ultimately recommended that Nieto be appointed to the position. He thanked the Committee for its efforts during the search.
“These folks were really focused on getting the job done. They took a lot of pride in what they were doing and wanted to make sure that we (the Select Board) had the right candidate,” Tibbo said.
Committee Chair Skip Frary was unable to attend the meeting in-person, so Tibbo read a comment from him.
“Alison (Nieto) hit it out of the park in our interview. She took any and all questions. She delivered appropriate and great responses… It really accentuated her depth of knowledge in Town finances and the operation of the Town in general,” Tibbo read.
Select Board Vice Chair Eugene Canty said Nieto “transitioned so easily from (past Town Administrator) Tony Barletta into her position as the interim town administrator.”
Select Board Member Pat O’Reilly thanked the Committee for its efforts: “They did a fabulous job; they performed exemplary due diligence… They ensured the integrity of every step of this process.”
In a follow-up conversation on Thursday morning, Tibbo said, “The process was a good one. They did a great job and pointed to a candidate that was strong and I knew would be tough to beat. We (the Board) look forward to continuing our work together going forward.”
Nieto also spoke with The Item on Thursday morning, where she said she never “envisioned myself becoming a town administrator.”
“I grew up here, and I care very much about the town and everything that’s happening. When the opportunity presented itself, I put my name in, (and) I’m really happy for the opportunity,” Nieto said. “I’m really looking forward to the future.”
