Search Underway for Hiring New PMLD Manager

For immediate release: June 11, 2020 

For further information, contact: Rick Rys at rys@r2controls.com or 508-369-5186 

Search underway for hiring new PMLD manager 

-Commissioners engage consultant firm to identify candidates- 

Princeton, MA — Following the resignation of its general manager Brian Allen, the Princeton Municipal Light Department (PMLD) has begun the process to hire a new replacement. PMLD’s board of commission members have engaged the services of a Groux-White Consulting, LLC of Lexington, MA, to lead the efforts to find a new permanent PMLD general manager.

Richard White, a principal of the firm, is no stranger to the town of Princeton having served as interim town administrator following the departure of Nina Nazarian until current administrator Sherry Patch was hired. “Our firm understands the energy needs of smaller communities such as Princeton. We will bring a rigorous selection process involving creating a search committee with selected residents participating in interviews,” said White. “Our goal is to find the best qualified, competent, and personable manager that will work well for the town and quickly earn the respect of PMLD commissioners, staff and its customers,” he added.

According to PMLD commissioner Rick Rys, “Brian left us for a new job elsewhere that will offer many new professional challenges. During his 15-year tenure as manager at PMLD, he succeeded in strengthening our financial situation and brought an aging distribution system to a solid state of repair. Our new manager will arrive with a very capable line crew and two new well-trained office staff. We thank Brian for his outstanding service to the town and for making improvements in the delivery of electric power to Princeton residents.”

As part of the transition to hiring a new general manager, PMLD commissioners have interviewed two qualified candidates and selected J. Gary Harrington as the temporary manager until a permanent manager is found.  Gary lives in the Jefferson part of Holden and has experience as the superintendent at Holden Light department, as the Boylston Light General Manager and as a consultant for the Berkshire Wind Power Project. Gary is currently semi-retired but serves as the wiring inspector for both Sterling and Princeton and is on the Holden Electric Power Advisory Board.

Gary has been meeting with Brian Allen this week to familiarize himself with the staff and the operations.  We welcome Gary to the department on an interim basis and look forward to working with him until we find a replacement for Brian Allen,” added Rys.

Groux-White Consulting, LLC, is a full-service municipal management consulting firm specializing in executive recruitment, interim management, form of government studies, organizational effectiveness evaluations, strategic and financial planning and conflict resolution. Rick White has indicated that one of the first tasks will be to form a selection committee separate from the light commissioner with up to 7 members.

Established in 1912, PMLD has been providing electrical service to residents and businesses of Princeton for over 100 years. Its mission is to provide a safe, reliable, and economical source of electric power for customers, to acknowledge and implement the need for renewable energy from within the diversity of available energy sources, and to enhance the benefits of municipal utility ownership.

PMLD has its own three-member elected board of commissioners, general manager and staff that operate separately from the town’s board of selectmen, town administrator and other committees. For further information regarding PMLD, visit the department’s website at www.pmld.com.

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