RANDOLPH — A year after stepping down as Hanover’s town manager, Alex Torpey has found a new municipal government job in another Upper Valley community.
Torpey, 37, began working last month as Randolph’s part-time director of planning, zoning and regional partnerships.
“We’re incredibly lucky to have Alex on our team,” Mark Rosalbo, Randolph’s director of economic development, said in a Monday phone interview.
The job is part of a $148,500, two-year contract the town signed with Rethink Local, a Vermont “public benefit corporation” he started after leaving Hanover. The company, which has one part-time employee in addition to Torpey, has a nonprofit component and “helps organizations and local governments accomplish their goals through paid technical advising/consulting,” according to its website.
The town is currently paying Rethink Local $7,500 a month. Torpey’s salary decreases periodically over time according to the contract.
“I’m committing to making these processes work more efficiently and I’m codifying that by having the cost go down in the contract,” Torpey said.
Since starting in early July, Torpey has been working to digitize forms and documents and streamline processes, he said.
“Medium and longer term we will be looking at all sorts of interesting things to ensure (Randolph) land use regulations are meeting the community’s stated goals and further, that we know what those community goals are through an up-to-date and action-oriented Town Plan,” Torpey said in the latest episode of his podcast, “The Rethink Local Podcast.”
Originally from New Jersey, Torpey moved to the Upper Valley when the Hanover Selectboard hired him in 2022 to oversee the town’s daily operations. He replaced Julia Griffin, who retired after serving as Hanover’s town manager for 25 years.
Two years into his three-year contract as Hanover’s town manager, Torpey departed with a $135,750 severance package last July.
At the time, Torpey and Hanover officials declined to discuss the reasoning for his abrupt resignation.
“I enjoy having multiple projects that I’m working on,” Torpey said in a Tuesday phone interview when asked to shed any more light on why he left Hanover. “I’ve spent a lot of time on the full-time implementation side and I like this a lot and I’m very happy on the consulting side.”
From last December to May of this year, Rethink Local contracted with the Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph. Torpey helped the board create a strategic plan and got to know Rosalbo, who is also the Chandler’s board president.
“I really enjoy his style and his approach,” Rosalbo said on Monday. “He has this brutal authenticity and he’s comfortable sitting at the table as a listener.”
In a few months, Torpey hopes to build regional connections by offering Randolph’s services to other towns that may be struggling with filling positions in zoning and planning.
Torpey’s “personality is excellent to build those types of relationships,” Rosalbo said.
Torpey lives in Tunbridge and is building a house on land he owns there.”I just wanted a bunch of land somewhere that was beautiful,” he said.
Torpey sees himself staying in the Upper Valley for the foreseeable future.
“People have interesting backgrounds around here and they know how to do stuff,” he said. “That mindset and attitude is kind of cool.”
