Todd Souza will wrap up his duties as Community Services director in Scarborough Nov. 22 before transitioning to the role as town manager of Union. Drew Johnson / Leader

Scarborough Community Services Director Todd Souza will wrap up his duties on Nov. 22 to take on the role of town manager in Union.

Since coming to Scarborough in 2017, Souza’s department has been confronted with a number of challenges, and he credits his staff for their success.

The COVID-19 pandemic is just one example, he said.

“We wouldn’t have been able to (get through the pandemic) without our staff and the town’s commitment to the process and wanting to keep good people,” Souza told the Leader on Monday. “A lot of towns lost a lot of good people because they didn’t take that route; they just laid people off and hunkered down … I’m sure those towns are still trying to recover from that.”

Souza said his staff was extremely flexible in sharing and taking on new tasks, changing their schedules, keeping facilities sanitary, and their ability to implement all of the restrictions the pandemic brought, such as social distancing.

He also praised their ability to acquire necessary protective gear, such as masks and gloves, while “the whole world wanted the same things.”

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Town Manager Tom Hall said Souza “really stepped up in short order” when the pandemic hit.

“He found ways to continue providing essential services to our Scarborough families and kids,” Hall said.

In September 2020, the town began leasing the building at 418 Payne Road, where the department calls home and provides many of its services and programs.

“They retrofitted a retail lighting shop and warehouse into a functioning community center,” Hall said. “It was really remarkable and I’ll give Todd all the credit, because he was there with his staff leading the whole way.”

Assistant Town Manager Liam Gallagher said staff members – both existing and departed – have had nothing but praise for Souza.

“I did an exit interview with an employee who worked with Todd for a fairly short period of time,” Gallagher said. “They just told me what a phenomenal boss Todd was, that he was the best supervisor they ever had, that he’s someone who expressed genuine care and concern for their staff.”

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Other than the pandemic, Souza said the department’s greatest challenge during his tenure has been keeping up with the pace of growth in Scarborough.

“There’s a lot of conversation in Scarborough about controlling growth and how to do that, and that’s for somebody smarter than me,” Souza said. “But we’ve identified numerous times that Scarborough has already grown, so we’re trying to meet the demands of what’s already here and plan for the future.”

Souza thinks he and his staff have been up to the task and have done so responsibly.

“Sometimes there are big scary things, whether that’s a number or finding you need more full-time staff,” Souza said. “I think we’ve come a long way in the last two years, especially in our budget process, identifying some of our challenges and putting it out there ahead of time.”

Souza identified a number of accomplishments in his tenure, such as developing the town’s parks and facilities master plan, the community center feasibility study and all of the special events the department holds, both big and small.

“He set us up with a parks master plan, he’s the one that has championed the work of the ad hoc Community Center Committee,” Gallagher said. “That will be work that will certainly last beyond Todd’s role here.”

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The Community Services director, a role that Souza filled for 14 years in Wiscasset before coming to Scarborough, said the most fulfilling moments in his career have always been when his colleagues feel fulfilled themselves.

“It’s when I see my staff get something out of it. Where they feel fulfilled,” Souza explained. “They got a certification or finished a project or they get a ‘thank you’ from someone and acknowledgment for what they’re doing. I’ve been doing this a long time and that’s still the best reward.”

Souza said he is looking forward to his new opportunity in Union to implement all he’s learned in Scarborough, specifically from Hall and Gallagher. A resident of Cushing, Souza said his proximity to Union is also a perk, cutting his commute by about 90 minutes each way.

While growth has been a challenge, Souza praised the community’s widespread use of the department’s services.

“Scarborough is a very active community,” Souza said. “There aren’t any numbers behind this but, per population, I would bet that we have one of the most highly participative communities. Residents are always doing stuff and, if they’re not doing stuff with us, they’re on the bike paths or they’re at the park or they’re at the beach.”

Gallagher said the town is advertising the position and the application period is set to close in late November. Hall said he will meet with existing staff to determine and name an interim Community Services director in the coming weeks and anticipates a new, permanent director will be in place by January.

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