LAKEVILLE — After nearly a year without a permanent successor to Ari Sky and an exhaustive search effort, Lakeville has hired Andrew Sukeforth as its new town administrator.

The Select Board’s vote to approve the town administrator’s contract during its meeting on Monday, Oct. 7 made the announcement official. 

Sukeforth will begin his duties as the town’s chief executive officer on Monday, Oct. 28. His three-year contract will end on Oct. 27, 2027. 

The board also voted to extend the end of Interim Town Administrator Robert Nunes’ contract from Oct. 15 to Oct. 24 to avoid having a large gap in turnover. 

Sukeforth will begin training for his new role starting this week, according to Nunes, who said he plans to spend several hours a week with Sukeforth before his official start date to train him. 

Board members unanimously extended a warm welcome to Sukeforth. 

Sukeforth was selected as one of two finalists for the position and has been described by board members as a great choice for the role. The board chose him less than a week after making an initial offer to the other finalist, Marc Craig, who ultimately turned the job down. 

Sukeforth currently serves as Director of Procurement for the City of Taunton. 

He brings to the table ample experience when it comes to the duties of a town administrator, having served as Assistant to the Town Manager of Middleboro from 2018 to 2020. 

Additionally, he has experience writing grants, serving on advisory committees and working with capital and operating budgets. 

Despite being a Middleboro native, Sukeforth said during his interview with the Select Board that he’s always had an “eye” for Lakeville. 

He shared with board members that working for Lakeville is a “dream that only comes around every so often.”