Nate Rudy, seen in this file photo dated Aug. 14, 2019, at Hallowell City Hall, will begin his position as Gray Town Manager on March 1. He currently serves as the Hallowell City Manager, a position he has held since 2016. Joe Phelan / Kennebec Journal file photo

GRAY — The Town Council has chosen Hallowell City Manager Nate Rudy as the next town manager.

The council announced Tuesday that it had unanimously selected Rudy to replace Deb Cabana, who will retire after she steps down from the position she has held for 15 years.

Councilors are scheduled to approve Rudy’s three-year contract with a starting salary of $105,000 on Jan. 26. Council Chairperson Sandy Carder said Rudy will give Hallowell his 30-day notice the following day and his first day in Gray will be March 1. Cabana’s contract ends in June but she is hoping to retire early, Carder said.

Rudy said Wednesday afternoon that he is “excited to serve as Gray’s next town manager.”

“My initial goals are to visit the town’s employees and facilities, meet with community leaders and town committee members, and work with elected and appointed officials on the budget, short-term goals, and long-term plans,” he wrote in an email.

Carder said in December that the town received 22 applications and narrowed the candidate pool down to five after the first round of interviews.

Before becoming Hallowell’s city manager in 2016, Rudy was executive director for Waterville Creates!, a nonprofit organization for the promotion of arts and culture in Waterville. He also served as director of economic and community development for the city of Gardiner.

Rudy has an MBA from Thomas College in Waterville and a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from Virginia Tech, according to a press release from the town. He lives in Readfield but the statement did not say if he plans to move to the Lakes Region.

The town hired Don Gerrish, a municipal consultant with the Augusta firm Eaton Peabody, last October to lead the search for a fee of $6,000. Gerrish, who retired as town manager of Brunswick in 2008, has also assisted Windham in its town manager search and served as interim town manager from October 2018 to December 2019. He is currently working with Casco in their search and has served as interim town manager since September.