Federalsburg Town Manager, Lawrence DiRe, has been selected as the new town manager for Chestertown, according to Mayor David Foster. The decision was made through a unanimous vote by the town council, and DiRe is expected to assume his new role by the end of June.DiRe will succeed Bill Ingersoll, a town manager who dedicated four decades of service to shaping the community we cherish today.
Online research reveals DiRe’s impressive background, which includes previous positions such as Town Manager for Cape Charles, Virginia, Director of Civic Engagement and Research at the non-profit organization Open Local Illinois, consultant to the University of Maryland, and College and Career Advisor/Volunteer for the Delmarva Education Foundation. He holds a BA degree in History from St. John’s University and an MA and ABD degree from Loyola University Chicago.
On his LinkedIn page, DiRe describes himself as a senior-level public service professional with expertise in various areas, including civic engagement, conflict analysis and resolution, mediation, town and gown relations, social entrepreneurship, local government transparency, land use planning and zoning, property rights, governing board codes of ethics, budgeting and finance, FOIA, and RLUIPA.
Additionally, DiRe is an active member of organizations such as the Maryland Municipal League (MML), the American Planning Association and its state chapter, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), and Strong Towns. He currently serves a three-year appointment to the Maryland Green-Blue Infrastructure Advisory Commission and has previously held the role of co-chair of the Cybersecurity subcommittee of the MML Hometown Emergency Preparedness Ad Hoc Committee from 2020 to 2021.
David Bowering, PhD says
All But Dissertation (ABD) is not a degree. It means course work is completed but did not complete a dissertation, or graduate from the PhD program.