Table of Contents
The Select Board has appointed Stephen L. Delaney interim town manager, following the July resignation of Beth Rudolph after two decades of service to Winchester.
The announcement — in an all-staff memo — arrived two days after the board spent nearly three hours interviewing candidates for the interim post.
Rudolph submitted her resignation July 7 and will step down after Labor Day, marking the end of a distinguished career that began in the Town Hall engineering office and culminated in the top administrative post. Her last day will be Wednesday, Sept. 3, according to Select Board Chair Michelle Prior.
The departing town manager joined Winchester in 2004 as assistant town engineer under Bob Conway, rose to town engineer in 2010, then served as interim town manager before being named permanent town manager in December 2022.
During her tenure, Rudolph oversaw substantial completion of Winchester’s multi-decade flood mitigation and stormwater work, numerous transportation projects including traffic calming initiatives, the Tri-Community Greenway and the Winchester Center train station project that opened to commuters following years of construction.
“She’s been working for the town for 27 years,” Select Board member Bill McGonigle said, noting Rudolph’s public-works experience helped her navigate supply-chain squeezes, storm-water mandates and a volatile construction market.
In March, Rudolph received strong marks in her first formal performance review as permanent town manager, with board members praising her budgeting discipline, collaborative leadership style and organizational skills. The evaluation placed her compensation in the top tier of the town’s pay scale.
The Select Board conducted interviews with three finalists Aug. 25 — Bob LeLacheur, Sean Fitzgerald and Delaney — before selecting Delaney, a veteran municipal administrator with more than 40 years of experience in Massachusetts communities.
“The Board was impressed with his varied experiences serving in Acting leadership roles, and his intent to make getting to know our team his highest priority when he comes on board,” the board wrote in a memo to town staff Aug. 27.
Delaney brings specialized experience in interim municipal roles that distinguishes him from typical town manager candidates. He served as town administrator in Georgetown from April 2003 to June 2009 and Wenham from 1995 to 2002, overseeing operations, budget development and personnel management for both communities.
His interim leadership experience includes acting town manager positions in Coventry, R.I., where he managed a full-service community of 35,000 residents with a budget exceeding $100 million, and Winchendon, Mass.
Beyond municipal administration, Delaney directed human resources for Danvers from June 2009 to June 2016, managing functions for more than 400 employees including recruitment, benefits, collective bargaining and grievance administration.
He also held interim human resources director roles in Lexington from December 2016 to June 2017 and most recently in Belmont from November 2022 to April 2023.
His extensive background includes municipal consulting through MMA Consulting Group in Boston from 1981 to 1993, where he served as vice president and consultant advising municipalities on management and planning operations.
Delaney also taught municipal finance and management at Boston University’s Department of Applied Social Sciences from 2005 to 2017.
Delaney’s appointment comes as Winchester confronts several immediate leadership challenges. Multiple collective bargaining agreements expired June 30, leaving municipal and school unions operating without current contracts for the second month of the fiscal year.
The town must also prepare for spring town meeting while developing the fiscal year 2027 budget, with the town manager’s budget due to the Finance Committee by Feb. 15.
Winchester is simultaneously implementing the Community Preservation Act for the first time after voters approved it in November 2024, advancing major capital projects including maintenance of the recently opened $94 million Lynch Elementary School, and planning for potential override discussions as part of ongoing State of the Town Committee deliberations.
The transition is further complicated by Assistant Town Manager Mark Twogood’s retirement at the end of September, creating a second leadership vacancy in Winchester’s senior administrative team.
The Select Board indicated it may consider appointing an interim assistant town manager or restructuring the position as a deputy role to attract more experienced candidates for the permanent hire.
“We know that you will welcome Steve to town, and we are counting on your assistance, and your patience, as he works to get up to speed on the inner workings of Winchester,” the board told staff in its announcement memo.
The Select Board will make the formal appointment at its Sept. 8 meeting, with Delaney’s first day expected to be Sept. 10. Before officially taking the role, he plans to meet with Rudolph for transition planning before her departure, ensuring continuity in town operations during the leadership change.
The board continues its search for a permanent town manager and has engaged an executive search firm to assist with screening and vetting candidates for the permanent position. The permanent search represents Winchester’s effort to find long-term leadership while Delaney provides stability during the transition period.
Delaney’s interim appointment provides Winchester with experienced municipal leadership during a critical period as the town navigates budget preparations, contract negotiations, infrastructure projects and ongoing strategic planning initiatives while conducting its search for permanent executive leadership.
