The two candidates for town manager will be interviewed on Friday morning at Town Hall. The sessions will be telecast live by Willinet.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A couple of dozen residents turned out Thursday night to acquaint themselves with the two men vying to become the next town manager.

 

Jason Hoch and Angus Jennings participated in a meet-and-greet at the Williams Inn.

 

On Friday morning starting at 9, each candidate will be interviewed by the Board of Selectmen at Town Hall in sessions that are open to the public but at which the public will not be invited to participate.

 

Both interviews and a planned deliberation by the board on Friday afternoon will be telecast live on the town's community access television station, Willinet.

 

Hoch and Jennings each appeared to be at ease chatting with individuals and making a few remarks to the room.

 

Each has a strong connection to the region.

 

Hoch is a 1995 graduate of Williams College, who joked that whichever way the town manager search came out, he had a good reason to come back to town for the school's Reunion Weekend, held each year the weekend after graduation.

 

Jennings is a native of Wilbraham who currently works as a consultant for municipal governments based in Concord. In that capacity, he has worked on projects in Pittsfield and Great Barrington, he said.

 

Like Hoch, he has extensive experience in town government, and, like his rival, said he was pleased at the turnout for Thursday evening's event.

 

"It reflects the interest of the community in this position and town government generally," Jennings said. "The level of engagement here is on the high level of the spectrum [compared to other towns], but it is not unique."

 

Jennings pointed out that he worked briefly for the U.S. Department of Justice in Baltimore but decided that he was better suited to municipal government.

 

"Local government is really where I can do the most good," he said.

 

He said he did not expect to come to town and make all the decisions himself.

 

"I view the role of town manager as a facilitator — helping the boards and town meeting make good decisions, informed decisions."

 

In addition to similar career tracks, Hoch and Jennings share a common academic background. Each holds a postgraduate degree in planning from Cornell University.

 

Hoch has led town governments in three New Hampshire communities: Littleton in the White Mountains and Plaistow and Litchfield in southern New Hampshire.

 

"What I hope to be able to do here is draw on that depth of experience, understanding how all of your departments work and can interact with one another and then pull in the tremendous resources you have in this community — all of the people who come to meetings like this, sit on boards, sit on communities committees," Hoch said.

 

"You have some great institutions in town who can be great partners. And sometimes it can be a challenge to work with such large institutions and maintain your identity as a town. Maintaining that balance is something I've had the opportunity to do."

 

Hoch also has had the opportunity to visit Williamstown a number of times over the years. On Thursday night, he recalled his first visit.

 

"Twenty-six years ago, I was taking a family trip through the small towns and colleges of New England," he said. "Midway through that trip, we came to Williamstown, came up Main Street, went up the hill, parked in a little parking lot behind West College. Before I got out of the car, I said, 'This is it. This is where I want to be.'

 

"And 26 years later, I'm saying it again."