Two of Five Search Committee Members Selected

The Finance Committee selected Cindy Merkle.

The School Committee selected Neil Bernstein.

Selectmen will chose their member Wednesday.

Then Town Moderator Joe Markarian will choose the final two members to the panel charged with finding candidates for town administrator.

The moderator said last night that he will review the selections by the other panels and choose the final two members with an eye toward a balanced search group.

He will consider qualities including temperament and experience.

Experience factored large in both the Finance and School Committees' choices.

Finance Chairman Michael McClung said Merkle is a former chairman of both the Finance and Capital Improvement Committees.

She thoroughly understands town finances and the qualities a town administrator needs to work well with the Finance Committee, he said.

School Committee Chairman Jacqui Kinney said Bernstein is a former School Committee member who is passionate about education and a skilled numbers guy.

A few years ago he combined those attributes to help the district put its finances in order, making them presentable and understandable.

The moderator hopes to have the search committee assembled by Thursday. 

He wants to schedule an organizational meeting as soon as possible. The agenda will include establishing a time line for the committee's task.

The search group will, in the end, present 3-5 candidates to selectmen, and the selectmen will hire the next town administrator.

The Selectmen's Chairman Matt Strauss hopes to have a new administrator on the job before town meeting in April.

Town Administrator Andrew Maylor will leave Swampscott on Dec. 15 after nine years in his corner office upstairs at .

He will become North Andover's town manager.

Swampscott will have an acting town administrator in place after Maylor leaves.