Three candidates with extensive backgrounds in Massachusetts municipal government will interview publicly Wednesday, Nov. 4, for Marblehead’s town administrator position, as the Select Board moves closer to choosing a successor to Thatcher Kezer.
The finalists are Kevin Harutunian, town administrator of Topsfield; Jennifer Callahan, former town manager of Oxford; and Clancy David Main, former Billerica town manager who now works in school finance in Haverhill.
The interviews are scheduled for 5 p.m. at Abbot Hall and will be open to the public. They will also be broadcast virtually.
The next town administrator will inherit significant financial and operational challenges, including implementing the town’s three-year, $15 million Proposition 2½ override, rebuilding financial reserves and coordinating spending priorities with Marblehead Public Schools.
Kezer is stepping down Dec. 31, about 18 months before the scheduled end of his contract.
The town hired a consultant to assist with searches for both a new town administrator and a finance director, following Aleesha Benjamin’s departure this summer.
A screening committee chaired by Select Board member Erin Noonan reviewed applicants and recommended finalists. The committee also includes Police Chief Dennis King, Finance Committee Chair Molly Teets, Select Board member Jim Zisson and former Select Board member Jim Nye.
Kevin Harutunian: Topsfield town administrator
Harutunian has served as Topsfield’s town administrator since December 2019, overseeing municipal operations, personnel, budgeting and procurement.
Before joining Topsfield, he served as chief of staff to Beverly Mayor Michael Cahill from 2014 to 2019.
He also has private-sector experience in commercial real estate management, including positions with Cabot Properties and CBRE.
Harutunian holds a bachelor’s degree from Saint Michael’s College and a master’s degree in business administration from Boston College.
During his tenure, Topsfield secured state approval of its zoning plan under the MBTA Communities Law, a requirement Marblehead also recently satisfied after years of debate.
Jennifer Callahan: Former Oxford town manager
Callahan served as Oxford’s town manager from 2018 until April 2026. Before that, she was town administrator in Millville from 2016 to 2018.
She also served four terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 18th Worcester District from 2003 to 2011.
Her public service experience includes positions on Sutton’s School Committee and Board of Selectmen. She holds graduate degrees from the University of Massachusetts, including a doctorate in higher education policy, research and administration.
Callahan resigned from her Oxford position in April. As of last spring, she was suing the town, two previous select board members and a resident for retaliation and threats, according to a report in MassLive.
According to her resume, her experience includes municipal budgeting, labor relations, capital planning and economic development.
Clancy David Main: Former Billerica town manager
Main brings experience in both municipal administration and public school finance. He told the Current Friday afternoon that he’s “very excited” about the possibility of coming to Marblehead and that his finance background and experience make him a qualified candidate.
Main held several leadership positions in Billerica, including budget and management analyst, director of administrative services, assistant town manager and acting town manager, before being appointed permanent town manager in late 2024.
His responsibilities included personnel management, labor negotiations, budgeting and major capital projects in a community of approximately 45,000 residents.
Main left Billerica in May 2025, less than six months after becoming permanent town manager, to become chief financial officer of Haverhill Public Schools.
Main left Billerica to find a better work-life balance following the birth of his second child, he told the Current.
Before his Billerica career, Main worked in Littleton town government and served as chief of staff to Boston City Councilor Mark Ciommo.
He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science and public administration, respectively.
Decision ahead
The Select Board will conduct the interviews publicly before deciding whom to offer the town’s top administrative position.
Select Board Chair Dan Fox has said the town intends to hire a new finance director after reaching a contract agreement with its next town administrator.
The new administrator will play a central role in that hiring decision while also overseeing the town’s financial recovery plan and working with school officials under the memorandum of understanding established following the override.
