Belmont’s HR Director Proves Thomas Wolfe Wrong By Taking Same Post In Hometown Of Woburn

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Photo: Shawna Healey

For Shawna Healey, there were 500 reasons Belmont’s Human Resources Director will be leaving for the same position in Woburn.

The 500 is the distance in feet she’ll be traveling from the end of her driveway to the Woburn Town Hall when she begins her new job as its HR director in mid-October.

And with a 10-month-old son and an opportunity to work where she’s lived most her life, “it’s a life balance decision,” Healey told the Select Board at its Aug. 29 meeting. Healey’s final day will be Oct. 7.

“I’m fortune enough to have the opportunity to work in my hometown where I grew up and where I still live,” she said.

“I’m sorry to see you go but I can’t compete with being 500 feet from work,” said Board Member Adam Dash, who along with the rest of the board praised Healey for her work in finalizing at time contensious union contracts.

A graduate (BA) of St. Amselm College and (MBA) Southern New Hampshire University, Healey arrived in Belmont in September 2017 as assistant to than HR Head Jessica Porter. She became acting director in October 2020 before being named director in March 2021.

Healey Named Belmont’s New HR Director

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Photo: Shawna Healey, Belmont’s new HR director

Shawna Healey can take the “acting” from her title as Town Administrator Patrice Garvin announced this week that the Woburn native has been named Belmont’s new director of Human Resources.

“Shawna was the obvious candidate [for the position],” said Garvin to the Select Board. “She’s experienced, solid and has the support of the staff.”

As the acting director, “she hasn’t missed a beat under some pretty hard stuff. She has been able to succeed and meet and surpass all those expectations,” said Garvin.

Healey has been the acting director since the departure of Jessica Porter in October. A non-contractional appointment, her annual salary is $108,000 with a start date of March 2. Phelan said the salary was selected after reviewing comparable salaries in surrounding towns.

Healy grew up and currently resides in Woburn. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business with a Human Resources concentration from Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire and a Masters in Business Administration in Human Resources from Southern New Hampshire University. Healey obtained a Society for Human Resource Management-Senior Certified Professional certificate in February 2020.  

Healey previously worked for Partners HealthCare in various human resource positions for five years before to coming to work in Belmont in September 2017.