40 apply for open parks & rec director position in Meredith

MEREDITH — As two long-time department heads retire, town leaders have already received dozens of applications from qualified candidates, and have narrowed down the pool for interviews, Town Manager Judie Milner shared with the selectboard on Monday.

The parks and recreation director position has been highly sought after, with the town receiving 41 resumes, then whittling down to six applicants to be interviewed. The public works director position had seven applicants, and three will be interviewed for the job.

Milner said most of the parks & rec director applications came from in state and around New England, with few exceptions. The public works director resumes came from all New England-based applicants.

The jobs were advertised with the New Hampshire Municipal Association, and listed in the newspaper and on the town website. An alert about the open position was also sent out through the news and announcements feature on the town website.

Both jobs were posted on Nov. 13. The parks & rec director salary ranges from $85,170 to $111,787 — depending on experience — and offers vacation and health benefits.

The job requires a bachelor’s degree in recreation management, sports management, physical education, or a related discipline. Five years of work experience in municipal recreation, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience, is also needed.

Responsibilities include planning, organizing and directing all operations and services of the parks and recreation department. The director also oversees facility operations, staffing, programming and maintenance of parks & rec areas. The chosen candidate will supervise four full-time employees, and about 30 part-time and seasonal staffers.

The salary range for the public works director position is from $103,771 to $136,201, depending on experience. It also includes vacation and health benefits.

A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, construction management, or a related field, and five years of related experience, is required. The director will be responsible for solid waste and transfer station operations, as well as roadway maintenance and snow clearing, and maintenance in the town’s cemetery, buildings and facilities.

The director will supervise 24 full-time, two part-time and several seasonal employees.

Over the past couple months, Public Works Director Mike Faller and Parks & Rec Director Vint Choiniere announced they would be retiring. Both have worked for the town for nearly three decades. Faller served for 28 years, and Choiniere as the director for the past 26 years.

The town held a joint retirement party for the pair, where about 40 employees, family members, and friends honored them for their work over the years.

During the party, Faller was commended by Selectboard Chair Mike Pelczar for his department’s work on roads and infrastructure, and Choiniere was praised for being a driving force of the building of the Meredith Community Center. These were just a couple aspects of their jobs that stood out, as fellow employees spoke about how there will be some big shoes to fill.

Milner thanked Franklin Public Works Director Justin Hanscom and Laconia Public Works Director Wes Anderson for their help in finding Faller’s replacement, as they have been assisting in interviews.

She also thanked Laconia Parks & Rec Director Amy Lovisek and Concord Parks & Rec Director David Gill for their assistance in filling the role left vacant by Choiniere.

Each interviewing committees also included Human Resources Director Chris Jenosa and Finance and Administrative Services Director Robert Carpenter. A representative of the police department was on both committees, as well.

Milner is not part of either committee, and she said they will be looking at technical aspects of the jobs. She will be looking at leadership qualities in a candidate, and the committee will be covering “everything we want from a department head.”

The committee will narrow it down to two finalists, and Milner will interview them. She said she has a high level of trust in the interview teams, as she has worked with some of the members in her past roles before coming to Meredith.

The interviews were scheduled to start Dec. 11, with the public works director position. Parks & rec applicants will be interviewed on Thursday, Dec. 18.

“I do plan on a meet-and-greet at some point with the board in nonpublic,” Milner said.

To see the job descriptions, visit meredithnh.gov.