Finance director looks forward to retirement
By Kyle Stucker
Hampton Union, May 20, 2014
[The following article is courtesy of the Hampton Union and Seacoast Online.]
HAMPTON — Behind all the number crunching and budget forecasting, Mike Schwotzer always brought a sly, self-deprecating humor in his years of service to the town of Hampton.
It was fitting then that Friday, during a day dedicated to celebrating his retirement, the longtime finance director made a number of subtle digs at himself. Even while unwrapping a series of presents and gift cards that represented most of Schwotzer's favorite things and showed just how deep a connection he formed with other town employees, Schwotzer downplayed his personal accomplishments in favor of talking up the work of the "beautiful" people around him.
"That's one of the things that made this job fun is all the people in this room," said Schwotzer. "They've all made me look good. Without them or IT, I was useless. There was nothing I could do."
Schwotzer officially retired Friday after nearly eight years as finance director in his second stint as a Hampton employee, a stint that Schwotzer said served a wonderful "bookend" on his career because his first job out of college was as a Hampton assistant building and code inspector for 2 ½ years in the 1970s.
Many of the individuals who packed Town Hall Friday to celebrate Schwotzer's final day said Schwotzer was far more valuable in each of those roles than he let on. Several said Schwotzer — who came to back to Hampton after 18 years in B.F. Goodrich's chemical division in Lawrence, Mass. — brought a strong period of financial stability to Hampton, while others said he contributed to a tight-knit environment that has dramatically helped the town.
Town Manager Fred Welch and Schwotzer have worked closely together on countless town matters and issues since they both came to Hampton in the late 2000s. Welch said Hampton is "really lucky to have great employees" who work hard and go out of their way to help their colleagues, and he said Schwotzer and his amicable approach really made a "difference" in fostering that kind of atmosphere at Town Hall.
"We're really going to miss him badly," said Welch. "He's really a dynamic worker. He's a great guy."
Lane Memorial Library Assistant Director Bill Teschek said Hampton will miss Schwotzer's "deep knowledge" and his "honesty and integrity." Teschek said these qualities and Schwotzer's personality helped Schwotzer — who has served in nearly all elected town positions in the town of Kensington, including selectman — have a key influence during public meetings, especially conversations related to the budget.
"When I've seen him talk at meetings, usually when he talks that settles the issue," said Teschek.
Kristie Pulliam, the town's payroll supervisor, has been chosen as Schwotzer's replacement. Pulliam said she hopes to continue Schwotzer's heavy focus on "camaraderie" and his "open door" legacy, particularly because she's seen firsthand how much of an impact it has made.
"He has a great relationship with everyone," said Pulliam, who has worked for the town of Hampton for the past 18 years. "I want to make sure I can continue that for my employees."
Even though Friday was Schwotzer's last official day on the job, he was in Monday and will be in other days during the week for the immediate future because he'll serve as a consultant to help the town with the budget and the upcoming audit.
Schwotzer said coming back to Hampton "was a great way" to put his various "phenomenal" careers and public service "together" in a way that allowed him to make the town's finance department "really transparent" and interactive with residents.
Doing so brought him a lot of pride, and while he said he'll miss it greatly, Schwotzer said it's his "time to go." Schwotzer said he plans to spend his retirement babysitting his two nieces with his wife, Pam, in addition to enjoying the expensive bottle of Grand Marnier 100 he received Friday and whatever else comes his way.
"It's been a lot of fun," said Schwotzer. "We have no idea what we're going to do, but we're going to have one heck of a good time doing it."