Poised for permanent role, Raymond’s interim town manager reflects on first months on job

By Dina Mendros

Raymond has weathered a turbulent stretch in town leadership, cycling through four town managers in just two years. Interim Town Manager Glenn Michalowski hopes to bring that instability to an end – and to put down long‑term roots in the community.

On Feb. 3, the Raymond Select Board voted to offer Interim
Town Manager Glenn Michalowski the position permanently,
pending final approval of an employment agreement at an
upcoming meeting, He joined the Town of Raymond in
November on an interim basis after serving as the
Lisbon Town Manager. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

After longtime Town Manager Don Willard retired in January 2024, former Town Clerk Sue Look stepped into the role. She resigned in March 2025 and was succeeded by former Parks and Recreation Director Joseph Crocker. When Crocker announced his resignation in the fall, Michalowski, who had been the other finalist during that hiring process, was appointed interim town manager and began work in November. On Feb. 3, the Select Board voted to offer him the position permanently, pending final approval of an employment agreement at an upcoming meeting.

Originally from New Jersey, Michalowski said he is grateful to be in Raymond, which he called “an incredibly beautiful community … a special place with tremendous natural resources.”

But what has impressed him the most, he said, is the people. “The dedication of the staff, residents, and elected officials stands out. I arrived during a period of transition, following some leadership gaps over the prior 18 months,” Michalowski said. “I found an organization that was fundamentally stable and a community that was welcoming and eager to move forward. That collective commitment has made the work both meaningful and enjoyable.”

Raymond is a shift from the larger communities where he previously worked, most of which operated under a council‑manager form of government. From 2014 to 2018, he led a regional shared‑service paratransit organization serving five towns in Morris County, New Jersey, while earning a master’s degree in public administration from Rutgers University. He later served as assistant business administrator in Maplewood, New Jersey, a community of about 25,000 residents. After moving to Maine in 2021, he became Lisbon’s first assistant town manager in 2022 and then town manager from October 2022 until November 2025.

“Transitioning to a traditional New England town meeting form has been the biggest change – and a positive one,” he said. “I genuinely enjoy the direct democracy aspect, where citizens serve as the legislative body. It can mean a more deliberate process, but it also creates flexibility and strong community ownership of decisions.”

Maine’s strong home‑rule tradition, he said, offers municipalities meaningful local authority compared to states with more restrictive frameworks.

Since arriving in Raymond, Michalowski’s primary focus has been the Fiscal Year 2027 budget. “Beyond the budget, we are working on standardizing internal procedures, strengthening training and HR functions, finalizing the fire union contract, establishing the Jordan‑Small Middle School Committee and Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee, and supporting department heads and the Select Board in achieving their priorities,” he said. “Equally important has been relationship‑building: meeting with residents, community stakeholders, and regional partners. After budget season, I look forward to expanding community engagement efforts.”

He acknowledges that Raymond faces challenges, though none he considers alarming. Rising external costs, particularly in solid waste and recycling, remain a concern. The town is also completing its revaluation this spring and ensuring that residents understand the process will be important. More broadly, he said, municipalities across Maine and the country are grappling with an aging workforce and fewer people entering public service.

“Retaining and developing the talent we have is a long‑term concern for local government everywhere,” Michalowski said.

Still, he sees significant opportunities ahead. “There are meaningful opportunities to capture additional grant funding and federal resources,” he said. Recent census changes have positioned Raymond to qualify for both urban and rural funding streams, especially for highway and infrastructure projects. “Those urban classifications may also create opportunities related to public transportation funding, which I would like to explore further.”

Despite the town’s recent leadership turnover, Michalowski is optimistic. “Trust is built over time and through consistent action. By supporting staff, maintaining transparency, and focusing on steady progress, we will continue to strengthen confidence with our neighbors.” So far, he said, “the atmosphere has been positive and collaborative. Staff have been engaged, and morale appears strong.”

Michalowski and his wife have family ties to Maine, and they’re eager to settle in with their two dogs, Fern and Pepper. He’s also looking forward to enjoying his favorite pastimes – backcountry skiing, sailing, fly fishing, and exploring Maine’s mountains and waterways.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve Raymond,” he said. “My focus is on steady, professional management; supporting the Select Board’s policy direction; and ensuring the town is well positioned for the future.” <

Raymond Select Board postpones scheduling election to fill vacancy

By Ed Pierce

To be as fair as possible to potential Select Board candidates, members of the Raymond Select Board voted to postpone a decision on an election date to fill a vacancy created by the recall of former Select Board Chair Denis Morse.

To be fair to potential Select Board candidates, members of
the Raymond Select Board voted to postpone a decision on
an election date to fill the vacancy created by the recall of
former Select Board Chair Denis Morse until the next
board meeting.  PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 

During a meeting on Jan. 13, the four remaining Select Board members certified results from the December recall voting removing Morse from office by a 282 to 260 vote tally. Morse, a retired town fire chief who was elected to the Raymond Select Board in 2023, was removed from his seat on the Select Board and declined to challenge the official result by asking for a recount.

Select Board Vice Chair Kaela Gonzalez, who retained her own seat on the board during the recall election by a vote of 276 to 265, thanked Morse for his years of public service to the town.

To fill the Select Board vacancy created by the recall of Morse, a special election will be held in Raymond to elect a candidate for that position. Raymond Town Clerk Melanie Fernald said that by town ordinance, an election should be scheduled 30 to 45 days after the Select Board certifies the results of the recall election.

She proposed setting a date of Feb. 17 for the election and a motion was made by Select Board member Chris Hanson to shorten the usual time for candidates to submit petitions and gather more than 25 signatures for nomination petitions and to be placed on the ballot following signature verification by the town clerk.

The window allowing a shortened period for absentee voting would have to be shortened as well, Fernald said.

Raymond Interim Town Manager Glenn Michalowski advised the board that the town attorney has said that waiting until the Town Meeting in June to hold an election to fill the vacancy exceeds state regulations.

Members of the public told the board that an election in February was too soon and would hamper voting, citing extremely slow mail delivery, vacationing residents not having enough time to vote by absentee balloting and a lack of time for potential candidates to become known by Raymond residents.

Hanson said he agreed with concerns raised about scheduling a February election date by the public, and he then moved to table his motion until the next meeting of the board, whether that be at the Raymond Select Board’s next scheduled meeting on Feb. 10 or during a special meeting of the board.

Select Board member Derek Ray said he was in favor of obtaining further legal clarification about the time frame for scheduling the election and reviewing all possible options.

Gonzalez said she believes every candidate for office in Raymond deserves a fair shake and that the normal time frame for candidates to gather signatures and to submit a petition is 40 days. She said she thought this didn’t conflict with the recall election ordinance by waiting until the next board meeting to set an election date, even if it was set for a date in April.

Hanson, Ray, Gonzalez and Select Board member Samuel Gifford voted unanimously to wait until the next board meeting to schedule a date for the election.

Raymond Select Board members exercise the town's executive and administrative powers, overseeing town functions through the appointed town manager, hiring town officials, managing highways, setting town fees, administering public health regulations, dealing with tax abatement appeals, implementing policy and serving town residents' needs. Select Board members are elected on a non-partisan basis and serve three year-terms in office.

Town bylaws specify that the Select Board shall deal with administrative services solely through the town manager and shall not give orders to any subordinates of the manager, either publicly or privately. This does not prevent the Select Board members from appointing committees or commissions of its own members or of citizens to conduct investigations into the conduct of any official or department, or any matter relating to the welfare of the town.

The term for the Select Board position vacated by Morse’s recall runs through June 2027, so the time that the elected candidate would be required to serve would be about 15 months if the board sets the election date for April. <

Raymond appoints new interim town manager

By Dina Mendros

The Town of Raymond will welcome a new interim town manager, Glenn Michalowski, who will be starting later this month. He will replace Joseph Crocker, who submitted his resignation as the Raymond Town Manager in early October.

Glenn Michalowski has been appointed as
Interim Town Manager for the Town of 
Raymond and will start his duties on Nov. 17.
Michalowski has served as the Lisbon Town
Manager for the past three years. 
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

The Raymond Select Board approved appointing Michalowski to the position on Oct. 21 and he will officially start duties with the town on Nov. 17. Michalowski is leaving his position as town manager for the Town of Lisbon, where he has served for three years, to work for the Town of Raymond.

The interim Raymond town manager position is initially for six months but could be extended to a year. To extend the position “the Board would have to be content with his accomplishments and how well he worked with the staff,” said Raymond Select Board Chair Denis Morse. He says that the town has not yet begun the process of looking for a permanent town manager.

Michalowski was one of two finalists out of 42 applicants when the board was originally looking for a town manager earlier this year, Morse said.

Crocker, who had worked for Raymond as the director of the Parks and Recreation Department for about five years, was appointed interim town manager in March and became the permanent town manager in May. He also took over as the town’s finance director in the summer of 2024 when the former finance director stepped down.

“Speaking for myself,” Morse said, “I voted for Joe as he had spent four to five years as our Recreation Department head building our growing recreation program that had been long overdue and looking for a leader.”

Although Crocker is moving to another job, he will still be around Raymond Town Hall for a while and will be helping out with some specific town projects.

“He has been in touch with Glenn and will be coming back to work for us providing help with the web page and hopefully other projects,” Morse said. “I know I can speak for the Board when I state we are delighted to hear Glenn has hired him back for a few weeks.”

In the search for an interim town manager, “We were looking for someone with the energy and passion to move forward with several large upcoming initiatives, such as the re-envisioning of the Jordan Small Middle School and our recently accepted Comprehensive Plan,” said Raymond Select Board Vice Chair Kaela Gonzalez.

Additionally, Morse said, the board was looking for someone with town manager experience and a degree in Public Management. Michalowski has both town manager experience and he holds a master’s degree in public administration from Rutgers University.

According to his LinkedIn page, in serving as Raymond’s interim town manager Michalowski says that he is “under contract to guide the organization through a leadership transition and strengthen its operational foundation ahead of future recruitment. My work focuses on continuity, fiscal management, and organizational stability – ensuring the town is positioned for long-term success and ready to attract strong leadership.”

In addition, Michalowski said, “I’m passionate about helping municipalities navigate periods of change, build administrative capacity, and modernize systems to deliver more effective, responsive public service - whether in a direct leadership role or as an advisor.”

Michalowski will be Raymond’s fourth town manager in 20 months. He replaces Crocker, who succeeded former Town Manager Sue Look, who resigned in March. Look had previously served as Raymond Town Clerk before being appointed by the Raymond Select Board to the role, succeeding longtime Town Manager Don Willard in January 2024 upon his retirement. Willard had worked as Raymond’s Town Manager for 23 years until he suffered an illness and while recovering chose to retire from the town manager’s role. <