Salem Hires New Assistant Town Manager

SALEM, NH - A new assistant town manager has been chosen to help run the town of Salem.

John A. MacLean, the former city manager of Keene, was appointed as the assistant town manager this week.

“As a member of the Town’s senior management team, he will assist with developing and implementing the organization’s strategic plan, assessing and continually improving town services, and appropriately allocating municipal resources across town departments and projects,” Town Manager Leon Goodwin said in a statement. “Mr. MacLean brings a rich experience in municipal management, including significant accomplishments in community and economic development to the town of Salem.”

Goodwin noted that as the assistant town manager, MacLean will manage the day-to-day activities of the community development department, and will also oversee the operations of the assessing, community services (formerly senior services and recreation) and human services department.

MacLean grew up in Massachusetts, served in the Coast Guard, and has worked in municipal government in Vermont and Michigan. MacLean was also the deputy county manager of Sarasota County, FL. He was hired to work in Keene in 1995.

As the city manager in Keene, MacLean assisted the state’s eighth largest city in cleaning up and redeveloping a contaminated railroad property and creating a TIF district for a corporate development park. He was also involved in bringing C&S Wholesale Grocers to the city in 2003.

“On behalf of the town of Salem, I welcome Mr. MacLean to the community and organization, and look forward to him joining our team as we continue to build a high performance organization,” Goodwin noted.