HATFIELD — A Massachusetts native with extensive experience in finance and government, currently serving as the chief of staff for Newburyport’s mayor, will be Hatfield’s next town administrator.

Select Board Chair Diana Szynal announced during Tuesday’s Select Board meeting that the town had chosen Andrew Levine of Lowell for the position. Levine was runner-up in the search for Sunderland’s town administrator.

Reached by phone Wednesday, Levine said he got a great feeling from the Select Board, department heads and volunteers during the interview process in Hatfield.

“Hatfield seems like a great community, I’m honored to be selected and I look forward to meeting everybody,” Levine said.

With his wife having acquaintances and ties to the region, and a young child, as well, Levine said his family has wanted to put down roots in the region.

“We were looking for a place to call home,” Levine said. “We’re really excited about this, both as a personal and professional opportunity.”

Levine will start Nov. 12, meaning he will have about six weeks of overlap with Marlene Michonski, who is retiring at the end of the year. Michonski has served as Hatfield town administrator for 18 of the past 22 years. Hatfield has 3,183 residents.

Levine was selected out of four finalists, all of whom Szynal described as being strong candidates and recommended by a search committee. Those other finalists were former Hatfield Select Board member and resident Brian Moriarty, Hatfield resident and Planning Board member Douglas Finn, who serves as Westhampton’s town coordinator, and Northampton native Michael Lapinski, who brings municipal management experience in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Szynal, who described Levine as both pleasant and a “sharp, sharp guy,” said she looks forward to having Levine come to Hatfield. “Very excited to welcome Andrew and his family to the area,” Szynal said.

Szynal noted that Levine, in addition to his professional experience, has a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Levine said his current role involves a lot of administrative work, including with the City Council and the various boards and commissions in Newburyport.

In Hatfield, he said his first weeks will involve a lot of listening and becoming visible around town, whether it be at municipal meetings or youth sporting events.

In his job, he wants to provide information so elected and appointed officials can make their decisions.

“It’s about framing decisions for the decision makers, doing the research to help the decision makers do their jobs,” Levine said.

During his interview with the Select Board, Levine explained that he grew up in Framingham and Wayland, worked for four years at MassDevelopment, and then became director of administrative services in Billerica before becoming chief of staff in Newburyport.

Levine also told the Select Board that he was interested in not just the day-to-day management aspects of the job, but also long-term planning.

“I’d also feel successful if it feels like we’re not just managing what’s in front of us, but also thinking about the future, and really setting us up for a strong future in Hatfield, and honestly for the region at large,” Levine said.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.