Sean Mangano Returns as Amherst’s New Finance Director

Report on the Special Meeting of the Amherst Town Council, July 24, 2025

This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.

Present
Lynn Griesemer (President, District 2), Andy Steinberg and Mandi Jo Hanneke (at large), Cathy Schoen and Freke Ette (District 1), Pat DeAngelis (District 2),

George Ryan and Hala Lord (District 3), Jennifer Taub and Pam Rooney (District 4), Bob Hegner and Ana Devlin Gauthier (District 5). Ellisha Walker (at large) was absent.

Staff: Paul Bockelman (Town Manager) and Athena O’Keeffe (Council Clerk)

Absent: Ellisha, Walker

Sean Mangano, who served as Amherst’s Finance Director from 2020 to 2023, returned to the position with a unanimous 12-0 vote at the special Town Council meeting on July 24. For the past two years Mangano has been the Executive Director of Finance for the Holyoke Public Schools, which was in state receivership. The receivership ended July 1, and Mangano saw that his old position was open and applied. The previous Amherst Finance Director Melissa Zawadzki returned to UMass as Director of Information Technology Finance and Facilities after the FY2026 budget was finalized at the end of June. Zawadzki submitted her resignation in March after being appointed in May, 2024. According to Section 2.11(a) of the Amherst Home Rule Charter, the council must approve the Town Manager’s appointment of a department head by a two-thirds vote.

In announcing his recommendation for Mangano’s appointment, Town Manager Paul Bockelman welcomed the return of a familiar face. In presenting Mangano’s qualifications, he noted that In Holyoke, Mangano has overseen a $120 million budget. He supported the Receiver and the District in building capacity to manage the school system during the transition to exiting State receivership.

Prior to his past role as Amherst’s Finance Director Mangano spent a decade working with the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District rising to School Finance Director. Mangano has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, and a Master of Science Degree in Accounting. He is a Licensed School Business Administrator and a Certified Massachusetts Public Procurement Official.

Bockelman said, “Sean has unique and specialized knowledge of both the town’s and the school’s budgets. He learned the school and Town financial systems from the ground up and has an in-depth understanding of the inner working of both financial systems, most significantly the shared Munis accounting system.”

Mangano was chosen from 10 applicants for the position. A screening committee consisting of Bockelman, Director of Human Resources Melissa Loiodice-Walker, Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek, Recreation Director Rey Harp, Former Finance Committee member Bernie Kubiak, and Residents’ Advisory Committee member Anastasia Ordonez. Three candidates were interviewed.

Mangano does not have a definite start date. Bockelman said that Mangano is required to give 90 days notice to Holyoke Public Schools, but that may be negotiable once he knows he has the position in Amherst.