MARION — The town of Marion has gone four months without an official town administrator, but now there will be a new face in the Town House. 

Geoffery Gorman, a Navy veteran and non-profit founder, has been chosen as the new Marion Town Administrator, the Select Board announced in a Wednesday, Feb. 1 press release. 

He was one of three finalists interviewed for the position of Marion Town Administrator along with Mashpee town planner Evan Lehrer and Tom Guerino, former Bourne Town Administrator.

Gorman’s selection ends a four-month-long period in which Marion had no official Town Administrator.

According to Marion Town Administrator Executive Assistant Donna Hemphill, Gorman has “signed on the dotted line” and is ready to start the job on Wednesday, March 1.

He will succeed former Town Administrator James McGrail, who was hired as Middleboro Town Manager last October. 

Gorman holds a master's degree in oceanographic engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of North Florida.

He is the founder of The Falcon Foundation, a Mashpee-based non-profit that “seeks to further educational and cultural development of Mashpee citizens primarily through scholarship and grant support.”

During his Jan. 5 interview with the Select Board, Gorman explained that if chosen to be Marion Town Administrator, he would step away from the foundation. 

Since 2017, Gorman worked as the head of field service for the northeast region at MilliporeSigma, a biochemical company located in Burlington.

Gorman also served for 27 years in the United States Navy. He emphasized that his military experience would aid him in the role of Town Administrator, but wouldn’t get in the way.

“I know, there was in the previous interview, some concern about having that military mindset brought into the public sector,” said Gorman. “And I don't have concern for that only because that's not how I did business before. I've always been collaborative.”

He aims to have “open dialogue” with fellow town employees and make decisions with the help of experts. 

“I find much more satisfaction in sitting around a table and learning from… experts,” said Gorman. “At the end of the day, I own [these decisions] and I'm okay with taking accountability for that.”

“Geoff was probably the most capable of the individuals we talked to,” said Marion Select Board member Norm Hills during a Jan. 5 meeting. “I believe that Geoff can do what we need to do going forward.” 

Fellow Select Board members Randy Parker and Toby Burr preferred Mashpee town planner Evan Lehrer for the role. Lehrer was initially offered the position on Jan. 5, but turned down the offer on Jan. 13 following negotiations. 

Although Gorman was not Burr’s first choice, he said that Gorman is a “very smart man,” in “the way he phrases things” and “his approach to management.”

“It’s an honor to be chosen as the next Town Administrator for Marion and I look forward to building upon a foundation of work that supports the growth and improvement of the community," said Gorman. "There are many exciting projects and initiatives happening in Marion, and I look forward to working with the town's dedicated employees and supporting their efforts.”

Gorman added that he is “excited to meet Marion's residents and to experience firsthand what makes the community special."