Damon Lease Chosen
As Fifth Selectman
By M. D. Drysdale

Randolph’s unfilled selectboard seat was filled Tuesday by Damon Lease, a data analyst for Gifford Medical Center.

Lease was chosen from three candidates Monday evening after being interviewed by the remaining four board members. He attended his first official meeting the next night.

The board now consists of Jim Hutchinson, chairman, Larry Townsend, Steve Springer, and Ken Goss.

Town Manager Peter Butterfield also took part in the interviews.

The selectboard position opened up after Dawn Butterfield resigned, in order to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest when her husband was appointed manager.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Hutchinson said the board had been privileged to interview "three incredibly good candidates. It was a very hard choice."

The other two candidates were former selectboard member Delbert Thompson and Development Revew Board Chair Joel Tillberg.

Minutes to the Monday evening meeting noted the board was intrigued with bringing a new set of eyes to the board.

Lease came to Randolph eight years ago after 10 years in California and two in Alaska with his wife Cheryl, who grew up in Northfield.

"I wanted to see the world," he noted, but settled here to raise his children—Phil, now in the eighth grade, and Sarah, a third grader.

He took a job at Fletcher Allen Hospital for five years, and joined Gifford two years ago.

It’s because he is no longer doing a two-hour daily commute that he feels free to donate more of his time to the community, he explained.

He and his family live on the Fish Hill Road in a home that is part of the Green Mountain Stock Farm development. From there, he runs to work as part of his training in long-distance running.

Eight times, Lease has entered 100-mile foot races, and four times he’s finished. He’s also run "a lot of" 50-mile races, he said.

He said he had no particular agenda to bring to the board but during his interview he showed a good awareness of the major issues the board has been dealing with.