Ashby woman is pick as new Rockport administrator
ROCKPORT — The woman now serving as town administrator in the Central Mass. community of Ashby has been selected by Rockport's selectmen to become the town's fourth permanent administrator.
Linda Sanders, one of three finalists who was advanced by Rockport's search committee and interviewed publicly last week, was the unanimous pick of the five selectmen during a special meeting tonight in Town Hall. With the vote, she beat out fellow finalists Orlando Pacheco and Robert Cenevazzi, to fill the Town Hall seat most recently occupied by Michael Racicot. Edgar Gadbois has been working as interim town administrator since Racicot's July exit.
The Selectmen are expected to contact Sanders and begin working on a contract. The selectmen convened in executive session to discuss contract details shortly after deciding on Sanders as their selection tonight.
In her Nov. 3 interview with Selectmen, Sanders told the board she moved to the public sector after decades as a manager at Digital Equipment Corp. when she received a request by the outgoing Ashby administrator to take over the position on a temporary basis upon his departure two days later.
Her strong people skills impressed Selectmen Jacques, Andrew Heinze and Ellen Canavan during the interview, and — in announcing his vote tonight, Heinze noted she was the only finalist with extensive private-sector experience.
During her Nov. 3 interview, Sanders also indicated she wanted to pursue new challenges in a community by the water with a larger budget and devoted residents seeking to always improve their town government.
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