Ralph Dwyer
settling in as new Ashland town manager
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
ASHLAND — Ralph Dwyer is settling in quite nicely as Ashland’s new town manager. Though having lived in the community for 35 years, this is Dwyer’s first municipal job.
“I’ve never been in town government before,” he said. “I thought it would be a challenge — something different. There are a lot of good people in the area and it’s fun working with them and for them.
“Having lived here for so long helped with the transition,” said Dwyer. “I had already known a lot of the people and issues the town was facing. I didn’t just move to town after accepting the job; I have been working and living in Ashland all along.”
Dwyer, 59, started his new job Jan. 1 and said things have been “going pretty well.”
Having grown up in Oakfield, Dwyer graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1974 with a degree in mechanical engineering. After college, he went to work for Great Northern Paper in Millinocket.
“I transferred from Millinocket to Pinkham Lumber in 1976,” he said. “Pinkham was a subsidiary of Great Northern. I stayed there until 2005. There had been several owners in that time — Great Northern to Bowater to Georgia-Pacific and finally to Irving. When I left Irving in 2005 I was the mill manager, and then I went to work for myself doing consulting work.”
Dwyer said being completely green to municipal work has both its advantages and disadvantages.
“I think it’s a plus because you look at things differently than I suspect you would if you were in the government side of things all your life,” he said, “but there’s also a learning curve. You have to learn a lot of new things, new phrases, and new rules and regulations.
“The first challenge is the town budget,” said Dwyer. “We’ll be going to the town meeting with it later this month.”
Dwyer said his main focus is “getting the town meeting and the budget behind me and then see where we’re going to go from there.”
“It’s been very busy and interesting,” he said. “There are lots of things to learn including the different state associations I’m now part of such as the Maine Municipal Association. Fortunately I’ve got a very good board and excellent employees in the town who are really dedicated and capable. That’s making the transition a lot easier.”
Dwyer replaces James Gardner who accepted the town manager position in Easton.
Dwyer and his wife, Glenda, have two children — daughter, Sarah Oliver of Pensacola, Fla. and son, James Dwyer of Waxahachie, Texas.
