March 26, 2025 By Carol Britton Meyer
Asst. DPW Supt. Ashley Sanford was promoted to the superintendent position last night on a unanimous vote by the select board, who had high praises for her performance during her time with the department.
Sanford — who wasn’t present at the meeting — told the Hingham Anchor that she is “ecstatic” about her new role. She previously served as the school department project coordinator for maintenance before joining the DPW nine months ago as assistant superintendent.
For the past four months, she has served as acting superintendent while recently retired longtime DPW Supt. Randy Sylvester was on leave. He has agreed to mentor Sanford for a year as she grows into the position.
“I love my job and am so excited to be moving up in it,” she told the Hingham Anchor. “As acting superintendent, I feel as though I have already been in this role for a while. I will continue working with [DPW staff and town officials] and doing a good job.”
All three board members felt that while the other finalists — Mark Lundin and James Arsenault — were also highly qualified, Sanford is the right fit for the position.
Before announcing the name of the new superintendent, Select Board Chair Joseph Fisher explained the process, which involved public interviews of all three finalists at the board’s last meeting and consideration of comments made by the public.
“We had three excellent candidates,” he said, “It’s a tough decision.”
That said, Sanford stood out to him. “Ashley has proved herself to be a leader, not only understanding her responsibilities but being willing to accept and meet them,” Fisher said. “She has done an excellent job at achieving the required goals, and while she is not as experienced as the other candidates, I think she has the potential to not only grow into the role but to also grow the role.”
His recommendation of Sanford was contingent on her working with a mentor for at least the next year. “Ashley has the skills, attitude, and aptitude for this role, and we want to assure her success,” Fisher said.
With Sylvester willing to assume that role, the board will enter into a contract with him to provide that guidance.
Select board member William Ramsey — who also spoke about the excellent qualifications of all three candidates — noted that Sanford “did a phenomenal job during both interviews and was very responsive to me as the select board liaision to the DPW and in addressing residents’ concerns — from the swap area to potholes — and laid out a strong vison for the future of the department.”
Select board member Liz Klein — who said she was also impressed with all three finalists — pointed to Sanford’s “proven track record in a very short time,” her management style, her ability in handling customer service requests, and her “operational excellence” an as among the reasons to name her the new superintendent.
Fisher noted that members of the Hingham Cleaner Greener Committee made the point earlier that whoever was selected “needs to pay attention to the committee’s environmental goals and make sure that either the new superintendent or a designee attend some of their meetings.”
Town Administrator Tom Mayo also praised Sanford’s performance. “While Randy was out, Ashley ran the department very well and was extremely responsive,” he said. “She’s good at motivating and organizing and has managerial skills.”
Mayo noted that Sanford has “a lot of support around this position,” including Sylvester and other DPW staff, Weir River Water System Supt. Russell Tierney, and town engineer J.R. Frey, along with longtime DPW employee Liz Welch and himself in the town administrator role and the two assistant town administrators.
“The DPW is so critical to conservation issues, the beautification of the town and keeping its historic look, and making Hingham an enjoyable place for residents and businesses,” Fisher said, “and I believe that Ashley is up to [those responsibilities].”
