The city of Ellsworth is hoping to bring some stability to its finance office with the appointments of a new director and a new manager, who will serve as the director’s deputy.
Nate Moore, who has been serving as interim finance director, has had “interim” removed from his title and been appointed to the role permanently. He fills a vacancy created when the previous finance director, Anne Laine, abruptly resigned in April.
Moore served as deputy finance director under Laine, who held the position for less than 18 months. Moore is the sixth person to hold the job, either on an interim or long-term basis, since 2018.
The new finance director has 17 years of experience in nonprofit financial management and compliance, the city said on Facebook. In his new role, Moore will oversee the city’s overall financial strategy, budgeting, and reporting.
The city also appointed Zachary Turner to serve under Moore as its new finance manager. Turner has seven years of municipal finance and accounting experience, most recently as the finance director of Orono.
Turner, who is expected to start on Aug. 12, will support Moore in day-to-day financial operations, including accounts management, financial analysis, reconciliations and compliance.
“These appointments signify our commitment to strengthening our financial stewardship and maintaining the highest standards of fiscal responsibility,” the city said.
The appointments come at a time when the city has another high-profile position to fill. Toni Dyer, who has served as Ellsworth’s city clerk since 2021, left at the end of June to take a job in the private sector, according to the Ellsworth American.
Dyer, who during her city clerk tenure also briefly served as interim finance director, had served as town clerk in Hancock prior to taking a job as Ellsworth’s human resources and payroll specialist in 2020. She became city clerk after the resignation of her predecessor, Heidi Noel Grindle, following the November 2021 elections.
Dyer had filled in as the city’s finance director on an interim basis after Josh McIntyre left the position in July 2022, following one year in the job.
McIntyre now works as Gouldsboro’s town manager.
Prior to McIntyre, Jenn Merchant, who now works as a credit analyst for Machias Savings Bank, served in the position since the 2018 departure of Tammy Mote. Mote left the position to take an administrative job with Rudman Winchell in Bangor and, since November 2022, has served as an elected Ellsworth city councilor.
