Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Michael Bettencourt, Select Board Chair in Winchester, is elected president of the 2021 MSA Board of Directors on Jan. 8.
The Massachusetts Select Board Association’s virtual Annual Business Meeting on Jan. 8 featured a panel discussion on best practices for evaluating municipal employees that report directly to the select board.
Scituate Town Administrator James Boudreau discussed the importance of establishing a constructive review process that is developed collaboratively between the board and employees. He also emphasized the need for ongoing check-ins about goals and performance with employees throughout the year, not just during the annual review process.
Southborough Assistant Town Administrator Vanessa Hale, vice chair of the Massachusetts Municipal Human Resources association, discussed protocols and methods for employee evaluations, providing examples of effective evaluation tools. She also discussed goal-setting and the importance of establishing Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound (SMART) goals on an annual basis.
Wareham Town Counsel Rich Bowen gave an overview of the legal aspects of municipal performance reviews, in particular the open meeting and public records laws.
Panelists responded to questions on topics such as the unique challenges of conducting sensitive performance reviews publicly, personnel file requirements, and conducting board retreats in compliance with the open meeting law.
The meeting featured welcoming remarks from MSA President Katie Conlon and MMA Executive Director Geoff Beckwith, followed by a report from the MSA Nominating Committee and a vote on the 2021 MSA Board of Directors.
The new board members are:
President: Michael Bettencourt, Select Board Chair, Winchester
First Vice President: Michael Walsh, Select Board Member, Westwood
Second Vice President: Jill Hai, Select Board Vice Chair, Lexington
Secretary: Diane Kennedy, Select Board Chair, Cohasset
District 1 Representative: Andy Hogeland, Select Board Member, Williamstown
District 2 Representative: Peter Spellios, Select Board Chair, Swampscott
District 3 Representative: Dan Matthews, Select Board Member, Needham
District 4 Representative: Alan Slavin, Selectman, Wareham
District 5 Representative: Lisa Braccio, Board of Selectman Vice Chair, Southborough
• Employee Evaluation presentation by Vanessa Hale (1.5M PDF)