HAMPDEN, Maine — T he list of candidates for town manager has been whittled down to two, and town councilors are gearing up to introduce their top picks to the community.
That will occur during a pair of receptions next week, councilors announced in a post on the town’s website.
The two top contenders for the post being vacated by Susan Lessard, who has been Hampden’s manager for 14 years, are Ryan D. Pelletier of Fort Kent and Angus G. Jennings of Concord, Massachusetts.
Pelletier is director of economic and workforce development for the Northern Maine Development Commission and executive director of Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development Inc. He also is the former town manager of St. Agatha.
Jennings is owner of A.G. Jennings Consulting Firm, a planning, zoning and real estate consulting firm based in Concord, Massachusetts. He is the former director of land use planning for Westford, Massachusetts, and town planner for Marshfield, Massachusetts.
In the week ahead, candidates will meet with town staff, visit municipal facilities, attend an informal community gathering and have a second interview with the Town Council.
The public is invited to meet Jennings and his wife from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Pelletier and his wife from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the council chambers at the Hampden town office.
The Town Council expects to name Hampden’s next manager and his starting date by mid-July, according to the notice posted on the town’s website.
The manager search began after Lessard announced her plan to leave the town’s employ in March, citing a family health issue and a desire to simplify her life.
She initially planned to step down when her contract expired at the end of June but has agreed to stay on two days a week through this summer.
Mayor David Ryder said last month that Lessard will be paid on an hourly basis and will not receive benefits.
On days Lessard is not in the office, Public Safety Director Joe Rogers will stand in in her place, Ryder said.