Town Hires New Finance Director

Town Manager Mike Embury announced the hiring of a new finance director, Ted Przybyla, who is currently the finance director for the Town of Coventry. He will begin Oct. 21.

The appointment is the first under a change in the Town Charter approved by voters in November 2012 requiring the town manager to get the advice and consent of the Town Council in hiring  department heads. 

Przybyla received a one-year, $105,000 contract. He replaces Patricia Sunderland, who left last spring to become finance director for the Town of South Kingstown. 

Embury said the process took longer than normal because of several factors, including interviewing four candidates, background checks, and contract negotiations. 

"It took a little longer than it will in the future," he said.

The interview panel consisted of the Town’s financial advisor, the East Greenwich School Department finance director, the chairman of the town’s Audit Committee and Embury.

In a memo accompanying the press release about Przybyla's hiring, Embury said there was "bad information" out there that he wanted to hire NK School Department finance director Mary King to take over a combined town-school finance department. 

"I have had discussions with Phil Auger and Mary King about the feasibility of combining some of the efforts in each of the finance operations, with an eye of the potential of a combined finance department as has been done in several communities," Embury wrote. He did not, he stressed, want to combine the two departments. 

Nevertheless, Embury said, he will continue to look for ways for the town and the schools to work together.