After Hiccup, New Natick Town Administrator May Be Close By

NATICK, MA — After the surprise withdrawal in late June of Arlington Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine after being offered the town administrator job, Natick has a new candidate — and he's already inside Town Hall.

The Select Board on Wednesday voted to enter into negotiations with Deputy Town Administrator James Errickson to take the spot Chapdelaine left behind. Before the vote, each Select Board member took turns praising Errickson, who appeared to be the No. 2 choice along with Chapdelaine.

"I'm hoping we can come to terms with him," Select Board member Richard Jennett said.

Chapdelaine was picked about six months after former administrator Melissa Malone left the job. The town convened a special committee to find candidates for the job, and four finalists were passed on to the Select Board for consideration.

The Select Board on June 14 voted to enter negotiations with Chapdelaine. He withdrew from negotiations on June 24 without a specific reason, saying the Natick job "may not have been the fit that it appeared to be following my several interviews with the town."

Errickson came to Natick in 2015 as director of the Community and Economic Development department. He previously sought to be a town administrator, applying in 2019 for the job in Norfolk.

Errickson will be the town's chief administrator for at least the next three months. The Select Board on June 30 also appointed him to the interim role until Sept. 1 following the conclusion of previous interim town administrator Robert Rooney's appointment.