LAKEVILLE — After interviews with what members described as two great candidates, the Lakeville Select Board has appointed Marc Craig, Foxboro’s human services director, as its new town administrator.

The Select Board voted during a special meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 18 to hire Craig, pending contract negotiations, after he was interviewed as one of two finalists selected for the position by the Town Administrator Search Committee. 

The other finalist was Andrew Sukeforth, who currently serves as director of procurement for the City of Taunton. 

Though some concerns were raised that two candidates would be too few to present to the Select Board, Member Lia Fabian, who chaired the Search Committee, said she felt confident these two options would suffice, noting that Craig and Sukeforth were both strong finalists.

“They would both be great candidates for Lakeville,” she noted. 

The board ultimately voted to appoint Craig, who currently serves as Director of Human Services for the Town of Foxboro, because of what they described as his strengths in community engagement and over two decades of experience in municipal government. 

Select Board Member Brian Day felt Craig was “a little stronger on the community engagement side,” which is where “Lakeville is lacking,” he said.  

When it comes to communication, Craig said he regularly checks in with people. 

On issues such as zoning, “educating residents is the most important part,” he said. 

During the interview, he described himself as having “a passion for local government.” 

Craig is also no stranger to some of the duties of town administrator as he currently fills in as an acting town manager for Foxboro when the town manager is absent, he shared during the interview. 

Interviewees were asked questions about how they would bring in revenue for the town while also maintaining Lakeville’s rural character and what solutions they might offer for dealing with challenges such as affordable housing. 

They were also asked how they would respond to residents' concerns that their experience working in bigger municipalities would negatively impact Lakeville. 

Craig said he would “never try to make Lakeville [into] Foxboro,” because “every community is unique.” 

Board members called particular attention in their post-interview discussion to Craig’s “out of the box” thinking in reference to a project he spearheaded that made the ice skating rink free for Randolph residents when he served as the town’s director of community programs. 

He instituted a policy that charged residents of surrounding communities to use the rink, which brought in revenue to fund town programs and make improvements to other public facilities, he said.  

The second finalist, Andrew Sukeforth, was also a strong candidate, board members noted. 

Members highlighted Sukeforth’s suggestion to create a “permitting guide” that would tell developers where they can build in Lakeville so they’re not “picking random spots,” he said. 

A Middleboro native, Sukeforth grew up visiting lots of places in Lakeville and said he’s always had “an eye” for the town. 

Craig will replace Ari Sky, who left in January. Former Taunton Mayor and Middleboro Town Manager Robert Nunes has been serving as interim town administrator.