Former Swampscott Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald will become West Newbury’s interim town manager next Monday.

Fitzgerald, a Peabody resident, was offered the position after interviewing with the Select Board and will serve for three to six months. He was one of three candidates interviewed following former West Newbury Town Manager Angus Jennings’ resignation. Fitzgerald was most recently the interim town administrator in Hubbardston, and he served as Swampscott’s town administrator until the end of 2024.

“I am very excited to join such a dedicated team of professionals who care so much about West Newbury,” Fitzgerald said in an interview. “I am looking forward to helping the Board build on the successes achieved by the town as we look to the future.” 

West Newbury wrote that Fitzgerald “was chosen based on his extensive experience in municipal government, his knowledge of West Newbury finances and operations, and his down-to-earth demeanor.”

Fitzgerald served as Swampscott’s town administrator for eight years. During his tenure, the town navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, voted to consolidate its elementary schools, acquired additional open space, and launched new community events.

In a letter to the Lynn Item, Fitzgerald said it had become “clear to me that with a new Select Board moving in a different direction with an increasing number of decisions and actions that I did not agree with, it was the right time for me to step away.”

During a public interview for a Danvers town manager position in 2025, Fitzgerald cited disagreements with newly elected Select Board members as a key reason for stepping down after eight years.

“In positions that I’ve had where I’ve had to transition, I’ve always tried to leave in a way that best supports the community,” Fitzgerald said in interviews with the Hubbardston Select Board. “Any time you spend a little time helping a community out, I think that’s a privilege, and I’ll do my best to leave this town as well as possible.”