James Malloy will work his final day as Lexington’s Town Manager on September 30, 2024, after six years of service.
Malloy’s public service career spans four decades across different Massachusetts, New York, and Colorado municipalities.
“To me, local government has always been the most important level of government, since every day, every service we provide has an impact on people’s lives,” he said. “And we have the opportunity to make that a positive impact.”
Since his appointment in 2018, Malloy says, he has revised the Town’s policies for building design and construction and implemented them in several major projects, including the new fire department headquarters and cutting-edge police station. Internally, Malloy has worked towards developing Town staff positions in communication, equity, sustainability, and resilience. In addition, he oversaw the creation of an independent department of health.
One of the most impactful contributions to the town’s development, Malloy said, is the new Lexington High School project, where he established the financial framework for the Capital Stabilization Fund to mitigate the cost of planning and building the school. The ongoing project will last until around 2028 or 2029, he said.
After retirement, Malloy plans to spend more time traveling, cycling, and volunteering.
So, what’s next for Lexington?
The search for the next town manager is underway. An executive recruitment firm will collaborate with a search screening committee consisting of nine residents in a process that will ideally conclude by the end of August.
The Select Board decided to hire Municipal Resource Inc. (MRI), a New Hampshire-based consulting firm, said Jill Hai, vice chair of the board. Some members who will work on this project are former town managers themselves, including Alan Gould, MRI’s chief operating officer. MRI was the same company used six years ago when the board hired Malloy.
The search screening committee is forming. Four of the nine seats will be filled by Jill Hai and Mark Sandeen of the Select Board, Robert Creech of the Planning Board, and a representative from the business community, Hai said.
For the remaining five seats, the Select Board is reviewing nearly three dozen applications and will discuss them again on May 6. “We want to have [them] represent the diversity of Lexington,” Hai said. “By that, I mean the diversity in lived experience, in professional expertise, and in community engagement.”
In addition to the committee, there will be open listening sessions in late May to June for the Lexington community to express their thoughts about the next town manager, Hai added. More details will follow when the committee forms and begins discussions.
A lot of important tasks await the next town manager. Next year, there will be town-wide activities to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington. The new high school building project continues to roll. The town’s sustainability efforts as climate change persists will be an ongoing focus.
“We have a very knowledgeable, very engaged citizenry here in Lexington,” Hai said. “So [the person] needs to be able to both be a management leader, be a community cooperator, and then also they need to be somebody who works well with our state house delegation.”
“Whoever comes in is going to need to be able to — we hope— hit the ground running quickly with a lot of balls in the air,” Hai said.
Malloy will work his final day as Lexington’s Town Manager on September 30, 2024, after six years of service.
