By Carol Britton Meyer

Town Manager Philip Lemnios, who retired June 29, is looking forward to his first summer off since he was a young boy.

“It’s the first time I won’t be working since age 12 – whether as a paperboy, at Brigham’s, or jobs I held in college. I’ll figure out next steps in the fall,” he told The Hull Times this week as he reflected on his future.

Lemnios said he is “very confident leaving at this juncture” after serving as town manager for a combined more than 25 years.

“The town’s affairs are in good order, and financially, organizationally, and operationally, the town is on a solid footing,” he said.

This is a good time for Jennifer Constable, who was Hull’s select board chair until she resigned in February so that she could apply for the job, to come onboard as the new town manager, “bringing new energy and perspective,” he said. “With the addition of an assistant town manager, Jen will be able to leverage her skills to take the town to the next level.”

What Lemnios will miss most are Hull’s residents and fellow town employees.

“I’ve enjoyed working with the staff, who try hard to provide great service,” he said. “I will miss working with these very dedicated people day in and day out.”

Lemnios first served as Hull’s town manager from 1992-2002, at which time he accepted a position as Natick’s town administrator.

“In 2007, the then-selectmen asked me to consider coming back because the town was struggling financially and operationally,” he recalled. 

Lemnios, a former Hull resident, decided to return to his earlier role “because I truly love this town.”

During his second run as town manager, he was able to restore the town’s financial affairs to good order and to get a number of capital projects moving forward.

“I consider this to be my biggest accomplishment,” Lemnios said.

During his tenure, roughly $35 million in grants were awarded to the town for a number of projects, including significant seawall improvements at Crescent Beach and Fitzpatrick Way and extensive Atlantic Avenue road work, as well as funding related to hazard mitigation, sea-level rise, and engineering services for projects in the pipeline.

The town also received roughly $6.5 million in grants for sewer department work in collaboration with Director of Wastewater Operations John Struzziery.

Also, $10 million worth of local road projects were accomplished with town funding.

“Our town has been so very fortunate to have Phil as our town manager for all these years,” said Select Board Chair Greg Grey. “He made every effort he could his entire career – 365 days a year, 24 hours a day – to do what’s best for our community.”

“Over the last five years I have had the pleasure of serving our community and working with Phil and getting to see first-hand how hard he worked in following through with policies we put in place, and the many goals we set and accomplished along the way,” Grey continued. “He chased every grant there was out there along with state and federal money that was available for roads, seawalls, and infrastructure all to keep us in a good financial position.”

Lemnios said he considers integrity, a strong work ethic, a willingness to be on-call 24/7, the ability to “synthesize a great deal of information quickly and to work in a complex regulatory environment on the local, state, and federal level,” and attention to detail important qualities for a town manager.

“No two days are alike, and none of them go as planned,” he said. “On a given day, you will be dealing with a small matter and half an hour later a much larger one. You have to take the issues as they come, prioritize them, and be willing to say ‘no’ and to explain the rationale behind that decision.”

Among Lemnios’s biggest challenges was “the period of turmoil in the police department in the 2014-2015 timeframe. This was a difficult time affecting a critical department,” he said.

Another challenge was the economic downturn that occurred shortly after Lemnios returned to the town manager position.

“We really had to scramble, with six years of zero salary increases on the general government side, involving negotiations with six unions,” he recalled. “It was a difficult process, asking staff to do more with less, but town employees recognized that everybody had to pitch in, and they did, allowing the town to continue offering [the usual services] without layoffs.”

Lemnios holds a degree in political science from UMass-Amherst and a master’s in public administration from the University of Southern California, which he has put to valuable use in his work for the town.

He served as assistant to the Attleboro mayor from 1988 to 1992 before coming to Hull.

“This was a state grant-funded position to bring professional management to that city,” he said.

Lemnios points out, though, that perhaps the most formative time in his career was the couple of years spent in the Congo as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1980s before heading for graduate school.

“This experience taught me the value of public administration – how when a government doesn’t work, there are negative impacts on the lives of the residents,” he said.

During his first leisurely summer in many years, Lemnios plans to golf, which he took up last year at his wife’s suggestion. “I’m terrible at it but enjoy the sport greatly!” he quipped. He also plans to spend more time with his family and enjoys cooking “anything and everything.”

His favorite part of Hull, where he lived for about 12 years starting in 1992, is its people.

“This community pulls together whether after a storm or when someone is going through a difficult time, putting aside their differences to help one another,” Lemnios said. “It’s from the heart. Hull is a special place.”

Lemnios finds Hull citizens to be “interesting and passionate people, which I enjoy.” His open-door policy led to some interesting conversations.

“Hull residents are not shy about sharing their wants and interests,” he said. “They are very direct.”

As he heads into a bright future, Lemnios expressed appreciation for Hull residents, members of the various select boards with whom he served, all the town’s employees, “and for the opportunity to work in Hull. I tried to do my best for the residents of this community. I expect Jen to pick up the baton and take the town to the next level.”

Constable, who is currently the assistant town administrator in Rockland, praised her predecessor for his leadership in the community.

“I wish Phil all the very best in a well-earned retirement,” she said. “Phil’s subtle, but distinct leadership, and moreover, his mentorship to so many has helped shape the community, which will undoubtedly be his legacy in Hull and for so many who walk in his path or try to fill his shoes.”

Lemnios also praised those involved with the search for a new town manager.

“We had a qualified consultant working with the town, a great screening committee, and a process that included public interviews of the three qualified finalists,” he said.

Lemnios also commended Town Clerk Lori West for “successfully navigating” the May 15 and subsequent two-hour follow-up election process under what he called “an extraordinary set of circumstances.”

“He was a great leader with our department heads and staff, and you could clearly see the results of that throughout town with the great work they all accomplished daily,” Grey said. “I am forever grateful for all he has done for our town, and I wish him the best in his retirement.”