Maria Capriola Selected as Town of Simsbury’s First Town Manager

Maria Capriola Selected as Town of Simsbury’s First Town Manager

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – NOVEMBER 16, 2017:  At a Special Meeting held on Thursday, November 16, 2017 the Simsbury Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to make a conditional offer of employment to Maria E. Capriola to serve as the Town of Simsbury’s first Town Manager.  “We are extremely pleased that Maria has agreed to serve as Town Manager,” said Chris Kelly, Chair of the Board of Selectmen’s Personnel Sub-Committee which oversaw the Town Manager recruitment process.  “Her many years in municipal government, her education and her first-hand experience in Mansfield with the challenges facing Connecticut’s municipalities make her the ideal candidate for Simsbury’s Town Manager position.”  Personnel Sub-Committee member Cheryl Cook concurred:  “the process produced an exceptional slate of candidates.  We all feel that Simsbury’s future is in excellent hands with Maria.”

Capriola, who brings fifteen years of municipal government experience to Simsbury, currently serves as Interim Town Manager for the Town of Mansfield, CT.  She received her Masters of Public Administration from the University of Connecticut in 2003 and started her professional career in municipal government that year with the City of Savannah, GA where she worked as a Management Intern (Fellow) and Management Analyst, Research and Budget Department.  In 2006, Capriola returned to New England as Assistant Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Newburyport, MA.  In that role, Capriola was responsible for managing and developing the City’s operating budget.  She also participated in labor negotiations and gained significant human resources experience.

Capriola was hired by the Town of Mansfield in 2007 as Assistant to the Town Manager.  The position was reclassified as Assistant Town Manager in July, 2012 and Capriola was appointed Interim Town Manager in July, 2017.  In addition to serving as the Town’s Chief Executive Officer as Interim Town Manager, Capriola has long played a key role in Mansfield’s budget development, human resources and collective bargaining as well as development and implementation of ordinances, program evaluation and development of shared services opportunities.

The Town’s search for a Town Manager began with recruitment of an Executive Search Firm in March, 2017.  Municipal Resources, Inc. was hired by the Town in May, 2017 and conducted a nation-wide search for Town Manager candidates after conducting interviews and surveys of town residents and staff to identify the core job responsibilities and competencies necessary for the position.

In November, 2016 the Town of Simsbury voted to change its form of government to a Town Manager/Board of Selectmen form, with the Town Manager assuming the role of chief executive of the Town.  Under this form, the Town Manager is appointed by and reports directly to the Board of Selectmen.  Because the new form of government does not take effect until December 4, 2017 Capriola’s appointment must be ratified by the newly elected Board of Selectmen at its organizational meeting on that date.      Newly elected Board Members, including future First Selectman Eric Wellman and Selectman Chris Peterson, were appointed to the Executive Search Committee after their election and participated in interviews and the final selection process

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