by John Osborn ·
Friday, March 20, 2026
The Select Board voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint Assistant Town Administrator Dawn Dunbar as Harvard’s interim town administrator at a salary of $164,000, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Dan Nason. Nason will remain on paid administrative leave through May 25 before taking a position as director of public works in Hudson.
Dunbar’s appointment is effective immediately. The board intends the interim role to last no more than six months while a parallel search for a permanent town administrator gets underway; Dunbar will be part of that process.
Dunbar joined Harvard last August as assistant town administrator and human resource director, bringing to the job more than a decade of municipal experience in Groton, where she most recently served three years as town clerk. A Fitchburg State University graduate with a degree in business administration and management, she steps into the interim role at a demanding moment—with the Town Meeting warrant freshly closed, a budget override headed to the May 5 ballot, and four zoning articles requiring further refinement before Town Meeting opens May 2 (see story on this page).
Board Chair Kara Minar said Dunbar was well prepared for the challenge. “She’s been to basically all the meetings that Dan was part of,” Minar told the Press on Wednesday. “She’s got a grip on all the different projects happening in town.” Minar said Dunbar would be able to lean on DPW Director Eric Ryder for day-to-day management of several demanding projects, including Ayer Road’s reconstruction, PFAS pollution at the Transfer Station and neighboring wells, and the Devens water connection.
Dunbar will continue to serve as HR director alongside her new duties, but the town plans to bring in temporary HR help for day-to-day work, a priority, Minar said, with employee open health enrollment approaching.
Board member SusanMary Redinger credited Nason with setting Dunbar up for success. “One of the great things that Dan did from the beginning was to bring you in on everything,” Redinger said, addressing Dunbar at Tuesday night’s meeting. She added that she had heard consistently positive feedback about Dunbar from department heads, committees, and boards across town.
Board member Ahmet Corapcioglu signaled that Dunbar could have a future in her new role. “Dawn is going to be a great candidate for the permanent position as well,” he said.
“I am grateful to the members of the Select Board for providing me with this opportunity and to my co-workers for all of their support,” Dunbar wrote the Press Wednesday afternoon. “I feel as though my 16 years in municipal government has prepared me to take on this role and I’m excited to continue working on the many projects that Harvard has going on.”
Board members were warm in their praise of Nason, who oversaw a period of significant change at Town Hall, including a more collaborative budget process and the water interconnection project with Devens. “He created a much more collaborative environment at Town Hall,” Minar said, “and did a lot to bring department heads together.”