Search for Town Manager Narrows to Three

The Town Council will begin interviews with three candidates for the town manager position next week.

One candidate is very familiar with Winthrop. Tim Gordon served as Winthrop’s chief financial officer under former Town Manager James McKenna. Gordon was responsible for all financial operations, including those of the Treasurer/Collector, Town Accountant, Budgeting, Procurement, and the Assessor’s Office. He was also responsible for Winthrop’s $53 million annual operating budget and financial oversight of an $80 new high/middle school project. He left Winthrop two years ago to become the town administrator in Holbrook. He is also a former selectman in Holbrook.

Another candidate is Austin Faison who is the Assistant town administrator in Brookline. Prior to that he was a junior analyst for the city of Somerville. He is a graduate of Northeastern.

The final candidate is Michael Lombardo, the former Hamilton town manager who left his position on April 12,

The town, through the Board of Selectmen, and Lombardo signed a separation agreement on Monday, April 2, after several months of negotiations over his contract. The selectmen and Lombardo had been discussing the contract since December.

Town manager’s salaries range from $150,000 to $200,000.

Winthrop came to need a new town manager when long-time Town Manager James McKenna retired last year making $150,000. Police Chief Terence Delehanty then served as the interim town manager and declined to take the position full-time. Delehanty kept his police chief salary of $160,000 while served in dual roles. Currently, Winthrop has a part-time Town Manager, David Cressman. He has been clear that he does not want a full-time position.