HARTFORD — The Selectboard appointed a familiar face to be town treasurer for the next year.
Joe Major, a former Selectboard member and current executive director of the Upper Valley Aquatic Center in White River Junction, was the choice at a special meeting of the board Thursday evening.
The position is expected to require about 8 hours per week; he does not expect it to affect his job at the UVAC.
The position, which carries a $16,000 stipend, runs April 16 to March 7, 2023.
The board, which began the treasurer discussion at its meeting Tuesday before scheduling Thursday’s special meeting, went into executive session before coming out and, without discussion, made a motion to name Major its treasurer.
The board voted, 4-0, with two abstentions in favor of the motion.
Board member Rocket had technical issues and didn’t connect to the meeting remotely until after the board entered executive session, and chose not to cast a vote.
Dan Fraser, vice chairman of the board, abstained citing a potential conflict of interest after serving on boards with Major and the other candidate for position, Darcy Kreis, a health informatics specialist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
After the board voted to appoint Major to the position, Chair Michael Hoyt thanked Kreis for applying and noted her interest in finding a way to be involved in the town.
“We would encourage her to do so,” Hoyt said. “We hope (Kreis) will continue to stay interested in town governance.”
Major has been the executive director of the UVAC in White River Junction since October 2018.
Before that, he spent a decade and a half in health club management, including 3½ years as the general manager of Merritt Clubs in Towson, Md., and about 10 years as the area director of World Gym Western New York in Buffalo, N.Y. He was also a television sportscaster in Buffalo for five years in the early 2000s.
“This is my first time living in a somewhat rural area,” Major said. “This is a bit different for me and it was the best move I could have made. The people have been incredibly welcoming to me.”
As he addressed the board Thursday, he cited advice from his father as motivation for serving.
“My father always told me to give back to the community that gives to you,” Major said.
Darren Marcy can be reached at dmarcy@vnews.com or 802-291-4992.