by Danielle Ray
Sterling resident Barbara Bartlett officially stepped into the role of Sterling’s Town Clerk on March 28. She leaves her position as Administrative Assistant in the Department of Public Works in Lancaster, but will work in both towns through most of April during the transition.
Bartlett brings nearly 10 years of experience in town government to the job. She has served as Assistant Town Accountant, Assistant Town Clerk, and Acting Town Clerk in Lancaster, Senior Account Clerk at the Shrewsbury Fire Department, and has an extensive bookkeeping and accounting background.
Bartlett is no stranger to town government in Sterling, having served on the Treasurer-Collector Search Committee in 2011, and has been a member of the Finance Committee since 2012 (from which she has now resigned). She has also volunteered as an election worker and assisted former Sterling Town Clerk Dawn Michanowicz during several elections.
“I have a strong appreciation for the election process, for involvement by residents on boards and committees, and for the annual town meeting,” Bartlett says. “I’ve always felt drawn to working with people, and I think my customer service and communication skills are some of my strongest traits.”
Bartlett was Michanowicz’s liaison to the Finance Committee. During a phone call regarding budget matters Michanowicz mentioned she was retiring. When the position was posted, several people asked Bartlett if she intended to apply.
“I didn’t have a desire to leave my job,” Bartlett recalls. “I was happy in Lancaster, and I had been doing a different type of work for the past three years. It was only after the job posting had expired and was reposted that I started to seriously consider applying.”
Bartlett says the interview process went smoothly with “a great panel of interviewers” including Town Administrator Ross Perry, Selectman Maureen Cranson, Stow Town Clerk Linda Hathaway, and Sterling resident Mike Rivers.
As excited as she is to dive into her new role, leaving her position in Lancaster has been difficult in some ways.
“The employees of Lancaster are truly like family to me, having been there with me through some of the toughest times in my life, including the experience of being Acting Town Clerk while the town prepared to recall two of its selectmen,” she says. “But they told me that they expected me to go to Sterling when they heard of the opening and were surprised it took me so long to apply.”
Bartlett said Michanowicz, as well as Lancaster Town Clerk Mary de Alderete, and Lancaster Assistant Town Clerk Dianne Reardon, strongly encouraged her to apply for the position and cheered her on during the interview process.
Her welcome to Sterling’s Town Hall has been very warm, with many people, from her co-workers to fellow town employees and residents, stopping by her office to introduce themselves and welcome her in person.
Bartlett says one of her major goals as town clerk is to spark interest in more residents to get involved, participate, and be more active in town. “There are opportunities to serve all over town, including in the Town Clerk’s office, volunteering as an election worker, becoming a member of a board or committee that has a vacancy, and so much more. There’s something for people of any age, background, and availability.
“Sterling has so many opportunities that give people a chance to meet and work together. I would love to see more of us doing that, becoming part of Sterling and getting to know each other.”
Photo by Danielle Ray: Sterling Town Clerk Barbara Bartlett