Interviews for Non-voting Members of the Finance Committee Set for July 15

Report on the Meeting of the Governance, Organization and Legislation Committee, July 8, 2025

This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.

Present: Freke Ette (District 1), Pat DeAngelis and Lynn Griesemer (District 2), Hala Lord (District 3). Absent: Ana Devlin Gauthier (Chair, District 5). Ette acted as chair for this meeting.

The Governance, Organization, and Legislation (GOL) Committee will interview three candidates for the two vacant positions for nonvoting residents on the Finance Committee on Tuesday, July 15 at 6:30 p.m. over Zoom. Priya Atiyolil, Joseph Jayne, and Steven KaCey submitted statements of interest. Pat DeAngelis said that five residents initially submitted Community Activity Forms, but two withdrew. The interviews are to fill the positions of Matt Holloway, whose term expired last year, and Bernie Kubiak, whose term expired June 30. Tom Porter, the third resident non-voting member of the committee was appointed for a three-year term in June, 2024.

Atiyolil previously served on the Finance and Capital Planning Committee for the town of Warren where she “conceived and led a weekly small business mentorship and pooled-capital initiatives designed to stimulate local economic growth.” At UMass, she established a bioelectromagnetics lab in the Institute for Applied Life Sciences. The laboratory focuses on the intersection of physiological systems and defense technologies and is affiliated with the Defense Department;s Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Her work received special recognition from US Senator Elizabeth Warren and Governor Maura Healey. She also serves as the accountant for the Amherst Women’s Club. Her website describes her as “a mathematician, engineer, mystic poet, and designer.”

Jayne states that he has over 20 years’ experience as a financial advisor and currently serves as the Executive Director of Planned Giving for UMass. He also served on the Town of Amherst Finance Committee from 2015-2018. In his statement of interest, he says, “I am committed to ensuring that Amherst’s financial resources are allocated effectively to support vital town services, infrastructure improvements, and community initiatives, all while maintaining fiscal sustainability.”

KaCey was recently appointed as an associate member on the Zoning Board of Appeals. He is currently a Hampshire College student who has served as a municipal finance officer in several Western Massachusetts towns. He previously worked in the Finance Department of the Town of Amherst as a customer assistant for the Treasurer and Assessor.  He states, “In my professional work as an administrator, I have managed the budgets of several offices by developing projections for future fiscal years. I also generated various finance reports for individual towns, as well as the state of Massachusetts.” 

At the interviews, all candidates will be asked the same eight questions, which they will receive in advance. These are: 

1. What do you feel you bring to the Finance Committee that can make it successful? Please include any experience you have with finance in general or the Town’s Finance Committee. 
2. What is your understanding of the role of the Finance Committee?
3. What is your understanding of your role as a non-voting member?
4. Tell us about an experience you have had collaborating, particularly where opinions were in conflict.
5. Please describe the considerations and objectives you’ll use for considering financial matters and the budget when making recommendations to the council. 
6. What is your approach in incorporating public comment into decision making?
7. What else would you like us to know about you that would make you a strong candidate for the Finance Committee?
8. Currently, the Finance Committee meets twice monthly during the year, generally during the day; but when it begins deliberation on the budget in May, meetings become more frequent. Can you confirm that you have the time to commit to this schedule and explain any concerns with your schedule?

The candidates will have up to three minutes to answer each question. After the interviews, GOL members will deliberate in order to recommend two of the applicants to the full council at the July 21 Town Council meeting.

No Decision Made for Filling Vacancy on the Charter Review Committee
Some GOL members expressed concern that filling the long-standing vacancy on the Charter Review Committee would be disruptive, because the committee has been working for the past nine months, and it might be difficult for a new member to get up to speed. The vacancy resulted from the resignation of Dan Muscat in January. The GOL members decided to consult the Charter Review Committee chairs before trying to fill the vacancy.