Chat With a Chairman: Jill Sullivan

Chat with Board of Selectmen Chairman Jill Sullivan:

What will your priorities be?

My first priority as Chairman this year is to continue to improve the functioning and effectiveness of the Board of Selectmen.  To accomplish this goal, our first meeting, on May 22, will be devoted almost entirely to organization and goal setting.  We will be reviewing a draft set of Policies and Procedures for the Board of Selectmen that will help us define the roles and responsibilities of the board as a whole, as well as for individual members. This document will be a resource that will help new members of future boards understand the way the Board operates on day one of their service as a Selectman.  I hope we will consider more effective ways of communicating with the community when this type of important policy change is being discussed.  We will also be discussing the goals of each member and working to select an achievable list of goals for the year and creating an action plan to follow through on their completion.  My personal priorities include compilation of a comprehensive five-year capital plan, funding of a town-wide drainage study, completion of the sale of the town owned properties, and developing a program to encourage more residents to contribute their individual talents to public service.  I believe that by improving dissemination of information to the public through our web site and by taking advantage of new media outlets such as Patch, we can encourage residents to believe that their individual efforts do have a positive impact on community life.

What do you think your leadership style will be, more of a take charge chairman or more of a laid back chairman?

In terms of leadership style, I am committed to making Board of Selectmen meetings more formal than they have been.  This will be one goal of adopting a set of Policies and Procedures for the Board.   Our responsibility to the citizens of Swampscott is a huge one, and the demeanor and decorum of our meetings should reflect that.  We will also be continuing the tradition of having liaison positions between the Board of Selectmen and various other boards and committees.  We, as a board, want every member of every board and committee to know we value their public service and want to work with them to support their efforts.  I hope that each member of the Board will then develop expertise in certain areas of Town government that can contribute to an even flow of information between boards and effective decision making.

Based on what you have seen or experienced as a chairman in the past, what’s the toughest part of the job?

The toughest part of the job is to keep everyone moving in the same direction to achieve goals the five of us agree are in the best interest of Swampscott.  That is the job of the Chairman.