McGrail Named Town Administrator

 HARWICH – The select board on Monday voted unanimously to offer the town administrator position to James McGrail, who is currently the town manager in Middleborough. 

 The board interviewed three finalists for the position on Saturday. They included McGrail, Marion Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman and former Winchendon Town Manager James Kreidler, Jr. Board members also met individually with each of the finalists for 30 minutes on Saturday morning.

 Select Board member Jeffrey Handler, who offered the motion to appoint McGrail, said the 30-minute sessions really helped him get to know the candidates, and his decision became much clearer from that experience.

“The board was looking for somebody who is the right fit for us,” said Select Board Chair Donald Howell. McGrail was that person, said select board member Peter Piekarski.

 McGrail has served as the town manager in Middleborough for three-and-a-half years. He served as the town administrator in Marion from 2019 to 2022 and spent a year as director of facilities in the Sandwich Public Schools in 2018-2019.

McGrail grew up on the Cape and is a graduate of Barnstable High School and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He lives in Sandwich with his wife and three daughters. He expressed a desire to work closer to his family. 

“It’s a hard decision for me, because as much as it's important for me to be closer to my home and be on the Cape where I live, the board I work for and the employees I work with are phenomenal,” McGrail told Nemask Week, a newspaper that covers Middleborough.

“I haven’t applied for other jobs,” McGrail told the select board during Saturday’s interview. “I’m here because I’m interested in Harwich. I’m very excited about this opportunity.”

McGrail said he enjoys being a town manager. “It’s the best job in the world,” he said on Saturday. “I can really help people. I like to become engaged in the community.”

 He said he was looking at staying in Harwich long term. “Its emotionally exhausting to change jobs. I’m hoping it’s in Harwich,” he said.

  Middleborough is a little larger than Harwich, with a population of 27,000 residents and an annual budget of $120 million, McGrail said. His salary there is $203,000. The Harwich job description set a salary range of $210,000 to $240,000. Piekarski was chosen to negotiate a contract with McGrail.

 When asked if he has any regional services experience, McGrail told the board that he participated in changes to the regional school district agreement in the Old Rochester School District while town administrator in Marion. The district includes Marion, Mattepoisset and Rochester. McGrail said he could help Harwich in its effort to alter the Monomoy Regional School District agreement.

 McGrail said his greatest strength is communication and he is “open, honest and transparent.” He spoke of the importance of team work and providing opportunities for employees to be elevated in the chain of command. Recognition based on employee accomplishments is important, McGrail said, and highlighted the need to build trust. He also said he is comfortable talking with the news media. 

 He pledged to provide all select board members with the same information in a timely manner.

 “I have yet to have an adversarial relationship with a select board,” McGrail said of his eight years as a chief administrative officer. 

 Select board members praised Groux-White Consulting for bringing forward a total of 34 candidates. The board also praised the work of the screening committee that narrowed the field to three finalists. Handler said the finalists were all solid candidates, and the town would be in great hands with any of them. 

 Upon successful completion of negotiations, McGrail will be diving into the middle of preparation for Harwich’s annual town meeting. He will be replacing former Town Administrator Joseph Powers, whose contract ended on June 30. Acting Town Administrator Tony Schiavi has spent the past six months reorganizing and crafting the town budget and town meeting warrant in preparation for the transition.