A former Rindge town administrator has been hired in New Ipswich to replace their outgoing administrator Joanne Meshna.
Carlotta Pini, of Fitzwilliam, officially began work this week, after spending a week training with Meshna, who retired after working for the town for several decades, with the last handful of years in the town administrator role.
Pini originally went to Wellesley College for a degree in psychology, after graduating from Monadnock Regional High School. She worked for a short time in banking and real estate before she entered the municipal arena in 2001 when she was hired by the town of Rindge as a bookkeeper.
Rindge’s former administrator, Edgar Gadbois, mentored her and encouraged her to go back to school to get a master’s degree, Pini said. She did and, in 2006, graduated from Franklin Pierce University with a master’s degree with a concentration in leadership.
At that point, she was promoted to assistant town administrator, with the intent that Gadbois would train her to take over his position when he retired, which he did in January of 2007.
Pini held that position until 2013, when she left the position in what was considered a “forced resignation,” where she left voluntarily rather than be fired. The original selectmen who had hired her and she had worked with for most of her career had left the board at that point.
“The new board was looking for something different, and that’s when I moved on,” she said.
She then worked briefly as an interim town administrative assistant for Mason, and then for Keene as a contract manager until about a year ago, when she started to stay home to care for her mother until she passed away in December.
“Shortly after her memorial service and the holidays, I decided to start looking into getting back into the work force. The position in New Ipswich happened very quickly. I submitted my resume on a Monday, got called for an interview on Tuesday, and by Thursday, they had made me an offer.”
The board was interested in her experience with grant work, Pini said, who worked with grants for historical restoration of the Rindge meeting house, for senior housing and with the energy commission during her time in Rindge.
New Ipswich has been looking for a solution to a permanent housing situation for the police department for several years since it moved from the town-owned building no. 2 into a rental space, an ongoing project that Pini may now take up.
“That was one particular area that they had expressed interest in,” said Pini.
Pini has worked with some New Ipswich officials before, in her previous job in Rindge, including Road Agent Peter Goewey and Building Inspector Rick Donovan.
“There are some familiar faces, which is nice,” Pini said. “Joanne [Meshna] left things in really good shape here, so I’m hoping to take the ball and keep rolling with it. I’ve jumped in with both feet and it’s been a seamless transition.”
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscipt.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.