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The Select Board has approved a contract with Christopher Senior to serve as town manager, with Senior set to begin work Wednesday, Jan. 14, ending a months-long search for permanent leadership.
The contract approval, announced Jan. 9 in a message from Select Board Chair Michelle Prior, follows the board’s Dec. 22 vote to offer Senior the position after a prolonged debate over contract length and performance evaluation timelines.
Senior, former town manager of Cohasset, was the sole remaining finalist after two other candidates withdrew from consideration.
Town Clerk MaryEllen Marshall will continue serving as acting town manager until Senior begins work. Marshall assumed the interim role following the Dec. 31 departure of Interim Town Manager Stephen Delaney, who had been filling the position since September.
The two-year contract includes a performance review between nine and 12 months into Senior’s tenure, with renewal of the second year contingent on a successful evaluation by majority vote of the Select Board.
The board settled on the contract structure after extensive discussion about how to balance the need for stable leadership with concerns about evaluating only one candidate.
“The Board is grateful for your patience over these past few months as we’ve experienced multiple transitions since Labor Day,” Prior wrote in a message to town staff Friday. “Please know that your ongoing work is appreciated.”
Winchester has been without a permanent town manager since former town manager Beth Rudolph resigned in July, with her last day Sept. 3. Delaney was appointed to serve as interim while the town conducted a search for a permanent replacement.
The leadership transition comes as the town faces time-sensitive matters requiring executive oversight, including budget planning, statutory deadlines and scheduling decisions tied to upcoming town actions.
During the Dec. 22 meeting, Prior outlined mounting costs of the vacancy, including stalled goal-setting, delayed department head performance reviews tied to potential bonuses and union contract negotiations on hold.
Senior served as Cohasset town manager for 12 years before announcing in October 2025 that he would not seek renewal of his contract. According to reporting in the Cohasset Anchor, Senior made the announcement at a meeting where residents had planned to express concerns about his performance, though he told Winchester News he felt it would not be appropriate to sign a new contract in Cohasset while actively seeking another position.
Select Board member Paras Bhayani reported in December that his reference check praised Senior’s relationship management skills across five superintendents and his work achieving a AAA bond rating for Cohasset.
The contract approval marks the conclusion of a search process that began following Rudolph’s resignation. The board worked with consultant Mary Aicardi, of the Collins Center for Public Management, to develop contract terms appropriate for an experienced municipal administrator.
Senior’s start date of Jan. 14 will allow for a brief overlap with Marshall’s interim service and provide time for transition planning before critical budget season deadlines.
Will Dowd is a Massachusetts journalist who covers municipal government and community life for Winchester News. He previously co-founded the Marblehead Current and now runs The Marblehead Independent, a reader-funded digital newsroom.
