Having served on the Finance Committee for eight years, business owner and longtime Dartmouth resident David Tatelbaum hopes to provide new leadership for the town on the Select Board.

Tatelbaum moved to Dartmouth in his freshman year of high school. After graduating from Boston University, he worked for his father’s chain of discount stores. Tatelbaum now owns the Dartmouth Street Big Value Outlet, and lives in the same house his parents bought overlooking Clarks Cove.

His political career began on the Dartmouth High School PTO. He stayed on board even after his children graduated from the high school.

From there, he served on Lara Stone’s successful Select Board election team at a time he called “the streetlights going out days.”

“Schools were suffering, and the whole town’s finances were in really tough shape,” Tatelbaum said.

Tatelbaum was appointed to the Finance Committee shortly thereafter. He has served on the committee for eight years and is currently the chairman. His term expires this year.

He learned everything he could about the town’s finances through his role on the Finance Committee, and every major project facing the town.

Tatelbaum’s first major priority is the hiring of Dartmouth’s new town administrator. Former town administrator David Cressman's last day on the job before retirement was February 16.

“We’re going to have a real tough time replacing David Cressman, and I think there’s nothing more important than that," Tatelbaum said. "Do the right job, ask the right questions and dig deep into people’s experience, qualifications, demeanor, and find the right person.”

He also hopes to better unite the town’s various boards and committees by determining each board’s priorities and taking a leadership role in major projects.

“Who’s job is it to bring everything together at the right time, so that people can really work together in a fashion that is respectful, productive, and efficient? That’s what I see as the role the Select Board needs to take on, and I’d like to be part of that.”

To tackle slowing revenue, he also hopes to explore recycling and reusing vacant land and buildings on Route 6 and Faunce Corner Road.

When he’s not busy at Big Value Outlet, Tatelbaum and his wife Jan enjoy exploring Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust’s trail system, a recent hobby the pair have picked up to keep in shape.