Rethink Local was recently contracted by the Boards of the Town of Rockingham and the Village of Bellows Falls in Vermont to provide Interim Municipal Manager services on a part-time three-month contract.
During the interim period, the primary goals are straightforward: make sure the day-to-day work of the town continues smoothly, support staff so they can do their jobs effectively, and help boards and committees stay focused on their most important responsibilities. Quickly building trust and relationships, providing consistent and clear communication, predictable processes, and follow-through matter a lot in small organizations, and especially during times of change.
From a management perspective, stability is not passive—it’s something that has to be actively maintained. That means identifying where systems or workflows create unnecessary friction, reducing uncertainty where possible, and making sure decisions are documented and understandable. Small improvements in clarity and coordination can make a big difference in how people experience their work and how residents experience local government, and part of the purpose of the Interim period is to reset small workflows to better support the new Manager when they start.
The Brattleboro Reformer article also talked about Alex’s prior work in town government, his time in elected office, teaching in master’s program, as well as the more “fun” things. Check out the article at the Brattleboro Reformer for more!
