Hopkinton is preparing for two major departures this year as town administrator Neal Cass and school superintendent Michael Flynn get ready to move on.

For fifteen years, Cass has been the person everyone turns to for information about the town. If a select board member was unclear about a development project from ten years ago, Cass had the details. If a question popped up about how the town government worked, he had the answer.

If he didn’t have the information himself, he always knew exactly who to call.

“I’m feeling a little sad as the reality sinks in of not seeing everybody all the time,” said Cass, who will be leaving the position in May. “You develop a trust with people, and partly just because you’ve been here and done it as you stay in any position for a long time.”

Cass’s new role will be the business administrator at the ConVal School District.

Flynn, who has been Hopkinton’s school superintendent for four years, will be stepping down at the end of June to take on a new role as superintendent of the much larger Derry Cooperative School District.

“Hopkinton did give me my chance,” said Flynn. “I think that’s always important to me, the loyalty, and it has a piece of my heart.”

Building morale

Before Cass took on his role in Hopkinton, the town had seen its fair share of administrators come and go. His main goal, he said, was to bring some much-needed stability to the position and administrative staff.

“When I came, staff morale was really low, and I think it’s good now,” said Cass.

In addition to handling the usual tasks of providing information to the select board, addressing complaints, organizing volunteer groups, and preparing budgets for town meetings, Cass said he made it a point to really connect with the community, even though he’s from Hancock, not Hopkinton.

One place you’ll always find him is at the senior lunch at the Slusser Center every Wednesday.

“I just think having a connection and being able to answer questions for the seniors that are there who may not be connected through the internet, and some of the other ways people get their information, I think has been really helpful,” said Cass. “I think you also build some trust there and it’s always fun.”

Leaving Hopkinton, Cass said, is a bittersweet moment. While he’s excited for the new challenge, he’ll miss seeing familiar faces and grabbing coffee or lunch at the local stores.

“I think I’m ready for something a little bit different,” said Cass. “Hopkinton is a great town to work for. I’ve really appreciated the support of the Select Board and the staff and really everybody in town. I would not have been here this long if it weren’t for them.”

Lessons learned

Flynn, who has served as superintendent during four annual school district meetings in Hopkinton, sees every school budget passed under his leadership as a “really good temperature check” of how well the district understood taxpayers’ concerns and priorities.

But it’s not just about the numbers for Flynn. He said he knows that part of his job is about balancing how people feel — he’s aware that while some like him, others don’t. Yet, what really stands out to him are those sensitive moments with students, families and staff.

“I was able to work with people on those private moments in which I’ve gotten a thank you card or an email,” said Flynn. ” I think all those personal moments are really what make this position rewarding to me.”

Flynn’s new job cuts his commute down significantly — no more 100-mile drives every day. But it also comes with a much bigger budget to manage. The Derry Cooperative School District handles over $100 million, compared to Hopkinton’s budget of less than $30 million.

He said the new role is an opportunity to grow professionally and take on a fresh challenge while keeping retirement in mind for the future.

“Hopkinton’s taught me a skill set that I didn’t necessarily have coming into it. I’ve enjoyed developing relationships with all stakeholders,” said Flynn. “I’m going to miss my board.”

 

Sruthi Gopalakrishnan can be reached at sgopalakrishnan@cmonitor.com.