Elizabeth Connell was voted in as the town’s new Council on Aging director pending contract negotiations at the October 3 Select Board meeting.

The Council on Aging has been without a formal director since February, after director Heather Sylvia resigned after serving just five months in her position. She cited a "hostile and unmanageable" work environment in her resignation letter.

Now, Connell is being tapped to lead the organization. During an interview with the Select Board, she gave an overview of her career. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of Fee for Service Programs at the MassHealth Office of Long Term Services and Supports for the state. She had previously served as the Assistant Director of Elder Affairs for the City of Worcester.

“My passion is serving older adults,” Connell said. “In addition to serving as Assistant Director of Elder Affairs for the City of Worcester, at that time I was also a caregiver for both of my parents.”

Select Board members asked Connell a number of questions about her past and what style of management she would bring to the table as the new Council on Aging director.

“I think the best way to describe it would be flexability in terms of management,” Connell said. “I think it requires flexibility because there are times in a crisis you have to be authoritarian but there’s also times where you need to be affiliative and you need to be participative."

She was also asked what inspired her to pursue the open position in Dartmouth. Connell explained that she was drawn to Dartmouth due to the number of unique services the town’s Council on Aging offers.

“I think Dartmouth is really interesting in terms of the setup you have with the Senior Center and Council on Aging,” Connell said. “The use of the space that has an adult day program and wellness center, thinking of how that can be used for the expanding older adult population. I find it really interesting that you have a lot of intriguing programs here.”

Connell also outlined some of her key ideas, noting that a big priority would be expanding outreach in the community about the services the Council on Aging offers, raising awareness of issues affecting seniors and bringing more seniors into the program.

Update: Contract negotiations were not reached, click here to read more.