MARION — A familiar face has been chosen by the Marion Select Board to assume the role of director of the town’s Department of Public Works.

Jody Dickerson, current supervisor of the Marion DPW’s highway division and former select board member in town, has been appointed to the role of director of the DPW. 

Dickerson was one of three candidates to reach the final stage of the application process, which concluded on Thursday, Dec. 5 with interviews conducted by the Marion Select Board.

Becky Tilden will be retiring from the director position of the DPW at the end of December.

Dickerson has also served as the town’s director of recreation for 13 years and was once a Marion police officer.

He said that he believes his experience and knowledge of the town and DPW is unmatched by any candidate.

“Jody impressed me with his answers,” said Select Board chair Norm Hills after the interviews. He added that Nickerson has a “wide knowledge of what goes on in town and the DPW” and is a person who “goes out and gets things done.”

Dickerson, who served on the Marion Select Board from 1994 to 2001 and 2013 to 2017, said that the biggest area the Department of Public Works could improve in is communication.

Town Administrator Geoff Gorman said the town received 20 applications for the position. Those 20 were narrowed down to three through a process of screenings and interviews.

The other two final candidates were Michael Bentley and Doug Pinard.

Bentley is the facilities manager for The Steamship Authority, a company that runs ferry services between Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

Pinard currently serves as the wastewater superintendent in Plymouth.

“I would like to congratulate the team for bringing us three good candidates,” said Select Board member Randy Parker. “I thought Mike and Doug were good candidates but Jody is a standout.”

The three members of the Select Board will now write lists of their expectations for the position, which will be presented to Dickerson as part of the job offer.