Hopkinton town head resigns

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:20:00 GMT

Hopkinton town officials will once again begin the search for a town administrator, as Leon Kenison has announced his resignation.

Kenison, who accepted the job last fall, will serve his last day in Hopkinton on July 17 before taking over as the Nashua Public Works director.

In recent years, the town has gone through several permanent and interim town administrators.

Board of Selectmen Chairman Scott Flood said that while the board hadn’t yet met to discuss the process, he believes the town will handle it similarly to how it did when Kenison was hired.

“I think the process we employed last time worked well where we had assistance from an outside organization and internally had a committee as well to screen the applications before they got to the selectmen,” said Flood. “Personally, I look for someone with management skills, as those are critical.”

In addition to being the Board of Selectmen chairman in Bow, Kenison also has a background in engineering, and he has previously spent 37 years working for the state Department of Transportation.

“It’s going to be more challenging and perhaps incorporate my background in engineering more than being a Town Administrator does,” said Kenison. “There are many things I may be able to help them with.”

Flood said it was Kenison’s wealth of experience in multiple areas that made him a good town administrator, and that he will be missed by the town.

“This did come as a surprise to me,” said Flood. “While it’s a loss for Hopkinton, I can certainly understand where Leon was coming from in wanting to move on to a better position.”

While searching for a replacement for Kenison, Flood said the board would ideally find someone who could bring longevity and stability to the position.

Kenison said he knows what he will miss about his months in Hopkinton.

“It will definitely be the people,” said Kenison. “The staff, the board and just about everyone I met have been great. I met a lot of people since last fall, and I consider it an outstanding staff. It meets the needs of the town and they’re all great people.”

Serving is two-way street for Hopkinton Town Administrator Leon Kenison

Bow Editor — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:38:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Two Wednesdays a month, Leon Kenison runs the show. Every Monday, he’s a part of it.

Kenison, who has settled into his role as Hopkinton Town Administrator, has been adjusting to a job that differs from his position as chairman for the Bow Board of Selectmen.

“The two are quite different,” he said. “I go from a policy-setting role as a selectman to an administrative and research role to present information to the board, decision-maker to information- provider.”

According to Selectman George Langwasser, Kenison’s experience in both sections of government have been the key to his success.

“He has an understanding and appreciation of what the selectmen need to do their jobs,” Langwasser said. “You ask him a question and he’ll give you an answer. He’s very low key and doesn’t come over robustly.”

After a year of interim town administrators following the departure of Ed Wojnowski, Kenison was hired in late September to fill the role full time.

The town administrator works closely with selectmen and community members. It’s this interaction that Kenison most enjoys about his job.

“You are directly involved,” said Kenison. “This is where the rubber hits the road. You’re dealing directly with the people who own the town. There’s not medium in-between. You look right into the face of the people who want the service.”

Langwasser said the town has switched its approach, as it is now Kenison that department heads report to, rather than the Board of Selectmen.

“By doing that, he stays much closer to the department heads than we do, and he becomes a very valuable source of information to us,” said Langwasser. “This way, they have someone to check with instead of trying to track down a selectman.”

There has been a learning curve for Kenison, who was previously the town administrator in Pittsfield for a year.

“Here, we have different people and a little different set up as well as what the community has for priorities,” said Kenison. “Every day I am learning a bit more and finding more about what things people have for visions for the town.”

With his differing roles in Bow and Hopkinton, Kenison has to keep himself in check at times during his Monday night meetings in Hopkinton.

“I do have to realize that I’m not a selectman here, and it’s not my role to be one,” he said. “I think that when the opportunity rises and I have suggestions, the board is quite willing to listen. I’m certainly not going to play the selectmen’s role.”

Hopkinton News : town administrator

Hopkinton town head resigns

Serving is two-way street for Hopkinton Town Administrator Leon Kenison