Middleboro town manager assistant to take similar role in Lakeville

LAKEVILLE — After five years as Middleboro’s assistant to the town manager, Emily Surette will soon begin a similar role for the Town of Lakeville.

In December, Christina Cotsoridis resigned from the position. At the time, Lakeville Town Administrator Andrew Sukeforth chose not to immediately allocate funds to fill the role due to the upcoming year’s “budget climate.”

Several months later, with funding approved, Sukeforth reconstituted the position under the new title of management analyst. The town received about a dozen applications, but Surette quickly rose to the top of the list.

“I was actually pretty shocked that Emily ended up applying, just because of the caliber of her expertise on a lot of different issues,” Sukeforth said.

Sukeforth and the Select Board expressed enthusiasm about restoring the town administrator’s office to full capacity and praised the experience Surette brings to the role.

“I don’t think we’ll have to train her on anything. She’s done six years of procurement, budgeting — basically everything,” Sukeforth said.

He said he often hears that Middleboro is “doing great” and credited Surette as a key player in the “engine room” of that town’s government. Sukeforth, who once held the same position in Middleboro, added that he knows firsthand what the role requires to be successful.

“I’m really excited about this opportunity. I’ve been in Middleboro for five or six years now, so I’m excited to see what kind of challenges Lakeville has and how I can transfer those skills over here,” Surette said.

Her last day in Middleboro is July 10. She will begin her new role in Lakeville on July 11.

“I think there’s a lot of growth potential for Emily in the future,” Sukeforth said. “She’s one of those people that if I won the lottery, she could be in charge tomorrow.”