CLAREMONT – Elizabeth Ferland, currently the city manager for Keene, New Hampshire, was hired by the city council as the new Claremont city manager in an 8-0 vote by the council Tuesday evening.
Ferland, 55, has been the city manager in Keene since 2017, and before that she was city manager in Franklin, New Hampshire, for nine years. She also previously served as town administrator in two other New Hampshire towns: Plymouth for eight years and Bristol for two years.
Ferland signed a contract with the city Tuesday with an annual salary of $170,000. The contract states she is expected to begin work in Claremont on February, 22, 2027, allowing for a 90-day resignation notice to the city of Keene.
Ferland briefly addressed the council after the vote, which did not include Councilor Chris Irish, who was not at the meeting.
“I want to start by thanking you for your confidence in me. I am really excited about this opportunity,” Ferland said. “I am truly excited to come work for you in the city of Claremont.”
In her 28 years in local government in New Hampshire, Ferland said she has always learned something different at each step in her career. She said her husband, Sullivan County Manager Derek Ferland, grew up in Claremont and decided to come back home after serving 22 years in the military. This has allowed her to get to know the Claremont community. She said the position will give her a unique opportunity to bring together her professional and personal experiences.
“Over the past eight years, I have had the opportunity to get to know this community, to witness the work of the city council and others and what you have done to move the city of Claremont forward,” Ferland said. “And I recognize the tremendous potential that you have here. I look forward to getting to know employees, residents and businesses, listening, learning and working with the council, to build on the good work that you have undertaken here.”
In a news release, the council said it is confident Ferland’s combination of experience, leadership, and dedication to public service will make her an excellent choice for the city.
“We are excited to welcome her and look forward to working together as we move our city forward,” Mayor Dale Girard said in the release
The release added that Ferland’s background in accounting and municipal finance “brings extensive experience in fiscal management, economic development, infrastructure investment, labor relations, and organizational leadership.”
“Throughout her career, she has emphasized fiscal responsibility, collaborative and creative problem-solving, the strategic use of technology to improve municipal services, and long-term community sustainability,” the council said.
The release also shared some of Ferland’s accomplishments in Keene, including major infrastructure and renewable energy projects like a five-megawatt city-owned solar project being built at the Keene airport. In Franklin, she led revitalization efforts to repurpose a former school into a community resource as well as the development of the Franklin Whitewater Park.
The Ferlands own and operate Liberal Beef on West Terrace Street in Claremont, which was closed when they bought and reopened it in 2025. Ferland’s contract states she is a local business owner and will be permitted to participate in the business operation “during evenings, weekends and other personal or vacation time” and may pursue other private business interests and real estate investments provided they do not “materially interfere with her performance duties or create an unresolved conflict of interest.” She is to notify the city council of any new interests that may present a potential conflict of interest.
Also in the contract, at Ferland’s request, is a provision stating that any time spent at the business during normal city office hours will be charged against accrued vacation or personal time, not as an adjustment to her workweek schedule.
According to the City of Keene website, Ferland has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and worked in the field of finance. She completed the New Hampshire Division of Personnel’s Certified Public Manager two-year program and is also a “credentialed” manager through the International City Managers’ Association (ICMA). She has previously served on the New Hampshire Municipal Association Board of Directors.
Ferland will be the city’s fifth full-time city manager in the last 10 years. Ryan McNutt was hired in January 2017, replacing Guy Santagate, who retired after 15 years running the city. In early 2019, McNutt was fired in a 7-2 vote by the council. Ed Morris, the Weathersfield town manager at the time, was hired in the summer of 2019. He resigned in December 2021 to become the town manager in Enfield. Yoshi Manale, the former city manager in Brattleboro, Vermont, was hired in October 2022 and fired in April 2025. Honesty, lack of information in council packets, lack of follow-up communication with the council, and lack of departmental control and accountability were the reasons cited by the council for the dismissal. Next, the council appointed the city’s finance director Nancy Bates as interim city manager in early summer 2025 and promoted her to the permanent position in January 2026. Bates resigned her position in July. Former fire chief Rick Bergeron has been serving as interim city manager.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
