Wenham Select Board Hires Finance Director 2-1 Despite Lack of Municipal Experience

WENHAM -- February 27, 2026, Wenham Select Board approves new finance director 2-1 despite unanimous concern over lack of municipal experience. The board voted Friday morning to hire Ernest Jackson as finance director and town accountant under a memorandum of agreement running from March 23, 2026 through June 30, 2029, with a starting salary of $115,000 rising to $118,000 in fiscal year 2027. Town Administrator Steve Poulos, who presented the hire, said the search drew 15 to 16 applicants over roughly three months, none of whom had municipal government experience, and that unanimous feedback from two interview panels pointed to Jackson, who brings about 25 years of private-sector accounting experience. Board member Karen Anger, the lone no vote, warned that the town would be "locked into something" if supporting finance staff member Jen Davis departed before Jackson completed the mandatory 12-month municipal-education plan built into his contract. Poulos countered that neighboring communities including Hamilton ($170,000) and Swampscott ($165,000) face the same recruitment drought, arguing that "accounting is accounting" and that the Massachusetts-specific requirements are learnable.