Updated: Town Administrator to resign, last day July 15

Dartmouth Town Administrator Shawn MacInnes is set to resign from his position on Monday, July 15, according to Town Communications Coordinator Magnolia McComish. 

MacInnes will leave Dartmouth to become CEO and president of the Columbia Association, a non-profit community service corporation that governs Columbia, Maryland, which is a “planned community” created by developer John Rouse. Opening in 1967, it consists of 10 self-contained villages and is a census-designated place.

In a Tuesday, April 16 email to town employees obtained through a public records request, MacInnes announced his resignation stating, “I’ve enjoyed my time in Dartmouth, and it has been a pleasure to [work] with all of you. Your dedication to the Town is admirable, and because of that the Town is in an excellent position for the future.”

While his last day is set for July 15, he will begin his vacation time on Monday, June 10, according to the email.

His departure comes less than three months after the Select Board unanimously renewed MacInne’s contract for another three years at its Feb. 5 meeting. The new contract was set to run from July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2027. 

MacInnes has managed the town since 2018, when he replaced former Town Administrator David Cressman, after spending 21 years as municipal operations director at the town of Yarmouth.

MacInnes was a finalist for another position during his time in Dartmouth once before. In 2020, he interviewed for the role of town administrator for Wellfleet. 

When his Dartmouth contract was renewed later that year, he was promised $185,000 for the first fiscal year — a $25,000 raise — with a 2.5% merit increase each following year. It is unclear if any pay adjustments were negotiated into the most recent contract.

MacInnes will begin in his new position at Columbia Association on Monday, June 17.

“I look forward to bringing my collaborative approach and passion for community service to Columbia to continue the mission of James Rouse [the city’s founder] and the entire Columbia community,” MacInnes said in a Columbia Association press release.

Columbia’s search began at the start of the year and finalists were selected and interviewed in March, with the process concluding in April. 

In a Monday, April 15 email to the Select Board, MacInnes said, “I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition and am willing to assist with the handover process in any way I can. Please let me know how I can best support the Town during this time.”

The Select Board will address this topic in a future meeting, according to McComish.