Rochester feels like home to new town administrator

Apr 5, 2022

ROCHESTER – Glenn Cannon describes his first few days as Rochester’s Town Administrator as “very welcoming.”

He said that Rochester is a friendly town. Residents from the town have come by to say hello and ask him questions, making him feel right at home already.

Cannon’s first day was Monday, March 28, as he took over for the previous Town Administrator, Suzanne Szyndlar. She will spend the remainder of her contract as the Assistant Town Administrator, showing him the ropes.

Then she will take on the role of Town Accountant.

Cannon comes to Rochester from Bourne, where he served as the Assistant Town Administrator. However, he already had his trial by fire. Due to turnover, Cannon served as Acting Town Administrator three times during his four-year tenure.

“I had been a town administrator for about six months in total,” he said, “so I kind of had a feel for it already.”

Born and raised in Wareham, Cannon attended Wareham High School and received his degree in Civil Engineering from Southeastern Massachusetts University, which is now the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He worked for the Cape Cod Commission as an engineer for 20 years before he was hired by the Town of Bourne.

Cannon has lived in South Middleboro for more than 20 years, where he raised his three children. He’s never been far from Rochester, with his house only about a mile from the town line.

“I walk my dog to Rochester all the time,” he said, mentioning his newest addition to the family, a 125-pound great Dane named Coco.

Cannon has always been fond of Rochester. “I like the quietness, the seclusion, the open space,” he said. “It’s amazing that there’s still farmland.” He also mentioned that he loves seeing the deer and wildlife around town.

He’s looking forward to working on the town’s need for additional public safety space, an issue that Rochester has been talking about for some time. Cannon also plans to find out more about the priorities of the town and put funding toward them.

Cannon is big on getting to know the community, too. “I love going to community events,” he said. “It’s a great way to meet folks and hear from them.” Cannon empathizes with people who cannot find the time to make it out to town meetings, as his wife, Dinah, is a nurse, and spent years working the off-shift.

But he also understands the importance of work-life balance. As well as taking time for himself to go on hikes, go to the beach and spend time with his family, he wants to make sure his staff are doing that, too.

“You need to look out for your staff and make sure they’re not getting burned out,” he said. “Make sure they’re using their vacation time. That’s why it’s there, so folks can have a break.”

Cannon thinks longevity is important. “Institutional knowledge is something you can’t duplicate.”