PLYMPTON - July 1, 2026 - The search for Plympton’s next permanent town administrator took a significant step forward as the Board of Selectmen received a slate of four finalists from its recruitment firm, Community Paradigm. The high-stakes process drew 30 applicants from across the region, which screening officials whittled down to a final four that includes the town’s current interim leader, a city treasurer, a local media operations executive, and an up-and-coming municipal accountant.
The Full Story
Bernard Lynch, representing Community Paradigm, presented the final report to the Board of Selectmen, highlighting a robust recruitment effort that capitalized on Plympton’s strong regional appeal. Out of the 30 applicants, 18 possessed direct municipal government experience. A seven-member local screening committee reviewed the initial pool, interviewed seven semi-finalists, and settled on four distinct candidates for public consideration.
The four finalists, presented in alphabetical order, bring highly varied backgrounds to the table:
Christine DeMoranville: The current Treasurer/Collector for the City of Taunton with over four years of experience in municipal finance, banking, and economic development. She is currently completing her Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official (MCPPO) designation.
Robert “Bob” Fennessy: Plympton’s current interim town administrator. Fennessy is a seasoned municipal executive who has previously served as town administrator in Carver, Kingston, Halifax, and Boylston, and maintains his own legal practice.
Heather Hamilton: The current director of operations for Brookline Interactive Group. Hamilton brings a diverse background that includes six years on the Brookline Select Board (serving as chair), project management in engineering consulting, and a prior role as the director of highway maintenance for MassDOT.
Sydney Viveiros: The assistant town accountant for the Town of Lakeville. Viveiros previously worked as an executive administrative assistant to the select board and town administrator in Acushnet and recently completed the MMA-Suffolk University certificate program in local government management.
The presentation briefly grew tense when resident Amy Cronin questioned the transparency of the sorting process, asking if candidates had been split into “wheat and chaff” before being seen by the screening committee. Lynch clarified that candidates were neutrally segmented into groups based on how closely their experience matched Plympton’s criteria. Chair Nathaniel Sides intervened to end the line of questioning, stating the board was satisfied with the consultant’s work and that further details fell outside the scope of the meeting.
