New Town Administrator Selected in Stow

The Board of Selectmen is pleased to announce that Denise Dembkoski of Billerica has agreed to become Stow’s next Town Administrator, beginning September 1.  Ms. Dembkoski comes to Stow with over 25 years of municipal experience, 18 of those in administration.  For the last six years, she has been the Finance and Personnel Director, for the town of Groveland, Massachusetts, a position that is functionally equivalent to Town Administrator.  Prior to that, she served for 14 years as Treasurer/Collector and Director of Information Technology for the town of Swampscott, Massachusetts.  In addition to a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Ms. Dembkoski also earned a Master of Public Administration from Suffolk University. 

Ms. Dembkoski stated in her interview that she has “dedicated her life to public service” and stressed the importance of transparency and community outreach to her work. She is looking forward to getting to know Stow, and pledged to be visible and approachable to employees, board members, and residents as she begins her work.

Since the announcement in January that Stow’s long-serving first Town Administrator, Bill Wrigley, planned to retire in August, a search has been underway for a qualified and suitable successor.  To that end, the Town Administrator Search Committee screened and interviewed some 30 candidates, and recommended four final candidates for consideration by the Board of Selectmen.  One of these candidates subsequently withdrew.  The Selectmen conducted public interviews of the remaining three, and finalized negotiations with the chosen candidate at their meeting on June 18. The Selectmen thank the Town Administrator Screening Committee for their hard work and thoughtful consideration of the applicants for this position, as well as the residents and employees who provided input into the process.