Dawn Shain of Westbrook takes a springtime ride through rides Riverbank Park last week. Robert Lowell / American Journal

City finance director steps down

Westbrook’s Finance Director Suzanne Knight will retire June 5 after seven years with the city.

“We have been blessed with her dedicated service to our community, especially during times of financial uncertainty associated with the economy and the pandemic,” Mayor Michael Foley wrote in a letter to the City Council and Superintendent Peter Lancia announcing Knight’s retirement.

“During her tenure, Suzanne organized the Finance Department as a professional group that afforded the appropriate checks and balances needed for a city of our size to ensure proper financial security,” Foley said. “This work and her leadership played an integral role in our fiscal management strategies that secured an upgraded bond rating for the city from Aa3 to Aa2 from Moody’s Investment Services. The rating reflects the city’s strong reserve balance and cash position, as well as low fixed costs and modest leverage, all due to her partnership with city administration and the City Council.”

“By instituting robust financial controls, Suzanne ensured positive annual municipal audit results. In addition, she worked collaboratively with the School Department to reconcile outstanding audit issues and helped to onboard their new finance director.”

Foley promoted and appointed Deputy Finance Director Tressina Germani as Knight’s successor. Germani has worked for the city since 2012 and brings “a wealth of knowledge” to the Finance Department, Foley said. She began as an accountant and rose to accounting manager and then to deputy finance director.

“Tressina has a total of 24 years of accounting experience working for various organizations in the region,” Foley said.

The city will move immediately to fill the deputy director’s position, according to Foley.

Housing coalition to meet

The monthly meeting of the Westbrook Community Housing Coalition is set for 1-2:30 p.m. June 6 at First Baptist Church at 733 Main St.

The coalition seeks solutions to alleviate the housing shortage in the city and meets every first Tuesday of the month.

Pond Lilies in concert

The Pond Lilies will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, June 2, in the Saccarappa Concert Series at Conant Homestead, 89 Conant St. A $10-$15 donation is suggested for the musicians.

50 years ago

The American Journal reported on May 30, 1973, that a woman on her way to a party stopped on Main Street to make a call in a telephone booth, but she couldn’t get out. A man with a truck offered to take her, booth and all, to the party. She was finally extricated when a fallen light fixture that jammed the door was discovered. The article did not give the woman’s name.