Newcastle interim Town Manager Kevin Sutherland will take on the role for the long term next week following a vote by the select board on Thursday, Oct. 26.
Sutherland was hired as interim town manager in late June to replace Sarah Macy, who departed in May after almost two years. He was previously Bar Harbor’s town manager for 13 months ending in January 2023 and city administrator for Saco from 2015 to 2019.
Before coming to Maine, Sutherland spent two years as chief of staff for the city of Ithaca, N.Y. and several years before it in county government there.
“The select board is a stellar group of dedicated public servants and I truly enjoy working with them to resolve some of their outstanding goals,” Sutherland said in August. “More importantly, our staff are passionate about the work they do and capable of solving everything that is thrown at them.”
Select board meetings in recent months have included focuses on ordinance revisions and policy updates along with goal-setting for the board.
Sutherland has been working two days a week in the Newcastle town office and a third day remotely from Hancock County, where he lives. He said in recent months he was considering relocating to take the job permanently but faced a challenging housing market.
Select board Chair Karen Paz said the board decided to hire Sutherland directly without posting a job listing because members realized they already had the candidate they wanted.
“His communication skills are wonderful,” Paz said. “He jumps in on anything that needs taking care of and has foreseen issues before they happen.”
Sutherland was referred to the town by local connections, according to Paz, and was the first interim candidate to respond when Newcastle was searching for Macy’s replacement. Both Paz and Vice Chair Joel Lind said they have enjoyed working with him over the past four months.
Sutherland is the town’s third town manager since voters approved the change from the town administrator form of government in 2020.
“We’re just very excited to have him on board,” Paz said.
The Newcastle Select Board will next meet at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13 in the Clayton V. Huntley Fire Station community room.
