When Patrick Luddy, a Salem native, walked into work for the first time at Swampscott Town Hall, he was starting an internship in the town accounting office.

After completing his internship, Luddy stepped into the full-time role of assistant town accountant in 2019. In 2021, he became a town treasurer/collector, and now, in January, Luddy was appointed by the Swampscott Select Board as the town’s finance director, succeeding Amy Sarro.

In his first two months in the role, Luddy has been getting acclimated to his new position and the responsibilities that come with being the finance director.

“It’s going pretty well,” said Luddy. “There have been a lot of changes and adjustments. I’m working with all of the other staff to make sure it’s a successful transition.”

Luddy said it’s been a good feeling to be able to grow so much in one place.

In his words, the main responsibilities of the finance director are to maintain fiscal prudence, make sure the town’s budget is controlled and expectations are met in terms of spending, financial stability and planning for the future. One aspect of the role that intrigues Luddy, though, is the ability to help the Swampscott community achieve a goal.

“I think it’s satisfying to be able to point at something and say I had a hand in helping achieve that goal,” said Luddy.

The people he works and interacts with on a daily basis – residents, business owners and elected officials – have helped Luddy enjoy working in Swampscott for close to a decade.

“It’s very welcoming here and it’s great to deal with all of the different folks that make the community great,” Luddy said. “I’ve been afforded a lot of opportunity here to grow and learn. I think as long as I’m learning and everyone around me is learning, you’re never going to be bored in a role.”

Over the course of 2026, Luddy has his sights set on continuing work he has done in previous roles to implement improvements to different processes in town.

“Taking the place that we’re in and trying to evaluate that, and work with the town administrator and the board to continue to improve upon processes,” said Luddy. “I’ve had a hand in doing so in varying ways to this point and there’s a desire to continue that work.”