Fort Fairfield is seeking a new leader to replace Town Manager Tim Goff, who is resigning after about a year and a half in the position.
Goff announced his resignation on Feb. 19. He has accepted another position as the new chief marketing and public relations officer at Cary Medical Center in Caribou.
His last day as town manager will be March 28, though he plans to assist the Town Council through the annual budget process and the search for a replacement. The decision was bittersweet, he said Thursday.
“It’s been exceptionally hard, from the perspective that I don’t want to leave our dedicated team,” Goff said. “At the same time, an exceptionally unique opportunity was presented to me that I couldn’t say no to.”
He will join Cary Medical Center following the recent retirement of Bill Flagg, who served as the hospital’s public relations officer for 46 years.
The position will return Goff to his roots in marketing and public relations. Before he came on board as town manager, he was branch manager at Machias Savings Bank in Presque Isle and has also worked in public relations and media.
He relishes the opportunity to work with veterans and medical center staff, he said, noting his father, brother and grandfather served in the military.
Goff was hired by Fort Fairfield in October 2023, at a time when the town was drowning in debt following alleged financial mismanagement. During his tenure, the town worked to claw its way out of those burdens.
Today the town is in a better position to have someone step into the leadership role, Goff said.
“I really feel like we’ve helped put the town on better financial footing, so we can transition into having someone else come into that role [as town manager],” he said. “It’s not an easy gig, but I think we can make that more attractive now that we’ve righted the ship.”
Town councilors accepted Goff’s resignation following an executive session on Feb. 19.
“As much as I hate to say this, I entertain a motion to accept Tim Goff’s resignation from the town manager duties,” Council Chair Keith Thibeau said when the group returned from the closed session.
The council named Fort Fairfield Police Chief Matt Cummings interim assistant town manager.
In that role, Cummings will help out with operations and administrative duties, Goff said.
A hiring committee has been formed. An advertisement for the position appeared Wednesday on the police department’s social media page. The town seeks someone with personnel management experience, successful economic development experience, strong financial management and budgeting skills, and excellent communications skills, the document stated.
Goff will remain in Fort Fairfield, he said. He is excited about his new position, but sad to leave the town government.
“It’s the definition of bittersweet,” he said. “It’s hard to say goodbye because I love our team, I love our community, and I think we’ve done some good things.”
