by John Osborn ·
Thursday, July 18, 2024
Harvard has a new town administrator. Dan Nason, currently Sudbury’s DPW director, has accepted Harvard’s offer and will begin work Monday, Aug. 5.
Nason was chosen June 24 by a unanimous vote of the Select Board. The board approved Nason’s contract Tuesday, July 16, and Nason signed it the following day.
Under the terms of the Harvard Charter, the town administrator is the town’s chief administrator, reporting to the Select Board. Nason will manage Town Hall staff, including the hiring of a new assistant town manager. Outgoing town administrator Tim Bragan, who retired June 30, continues to serve under contract as interim town manager and will help with the transition when Nason arrives next month.
Nason’s contract is for three years, through June 30, 2027. He will be paid $175,000 annually with benefits. His performance will be reviewed annually, with an initial six-month review scheduled for February 2026.
Board member SusanMary Redinger, drawing on her experience as chair of the School Committee, said Tuesday that the board should establish—soon—the criteria that will be used to assess Nason’s performance. She offered to lead such an effort; Charles Oliver and Don Ludwig volunteered to assist. The board’s next meeting is Aug. 6.
As previously reported, Nason has been Sudbury’s director of public works for eight years. He has a background in civil engineering and management and has won accolades and awards for his work.
He is a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he earned a degree in civil engineering, graduating “with distinction” in 1997. More recently he earned a certificate in local government leadership and management from the Moakley Center for Public Management at Suffolk University. He holds a patent for a stormwater control device developed while he was national engineering manager with Imbrium Systems Corporation of Worcester.
In addition to the professional experience and accomplishments listed on his three-page resume, Nason is an active participant in the civic life of Holden, his hometown. He was recently elected town moderator and chaired the Holden DPW Facility Committee that oversaw construction of a new $18.5 DPW facility that opened in 2022.