DEERFIELD — With screening interviews set for next week, the town expects to have its vacant planning and economic development coordinator role filled in February.

The town is looking to fill the vacancy left by Christopher Dunne, who was appointed to the position in 2023 but was promoted to town administrator in late 2024.

The screening committee, comprised of Dunne and a representative each from the Selectboard and Planning Board, will recommend finalists to the full Selectboard, which will conduct public interviews at a later date, according to Selectboard Chair Tim Hilchey.

“Hopefully we can have somebody selected and have the negotiations completed to bring them on board in early February,” he said, noting there are at least “four decent candidates” so far. “We’re optimistic that we’ll be able to find a strong candidate and keep the town moving forward.”

Hilchey added that some long-range processes will be in a good position to kick off with the new planner.

“There’s a lot of projects that naturally fit into the planning area, like the Master Plan,” he continued. “Once we get that position filled, we can start working on those things.”

On top of those projects, the town is also in the midst of planning and constructing its municipal campus, which took its first major step with the completion of the Leary Lot in the fall. The Tilton Library expansion project is next on the list, with its completion scheduled for this summer, which is also when the 1888 Building rehabilitation and addition project is expected to begin.

With many of these big projects already underway, Hilchey said the new planning and economic development coordinator will have an opportunity to become familiar with the town’s ongoing initiatives, while preparing to steward the community through the development of senior housing and the long-running search for a permanent home for the South County Senior Center, which are the final pieces of the campus vision.

“He or she will have breathing room to absorb the information they need to,” Hilchey said.

Once the new hire is brought on board, Deerfield’s Town Hall will be fully staffed with a new-look administrative team for the first time in several years. Dunne was brought on in 2023 to fill the inaugural planning position and then longtime Gill Selectboard member Greg Snedeker was recruited as assistant town administrator in September 2024.

Dunne served as interim town administrator for a few months in fall 2024 following the retirement of former Town Administrator Kayce Warren and was appointed to the permanent position with rave reviews from the Selectboard.

“We’ve been really fortunate,” Hilchey said of the town’s latest hires.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.