NORTH SMITHFIELD – After just one year and four months in the role, Lillian Silva Scott will no longer be serving as North Smithfield’s town clerk, with Administrator Paul Zwolenski stating that she is no longer working for the town.
Deputy Town Clerk Joanne Buttie has been tapped to serve as interim clerk, and Zwolenski said he’s hopeful she will be able to permanently occupy the role.
Buttie was named to the position as interim this week, after initially turning down the job due to outside obligations.
Buttie, a Woonsocket resident, was hired by the town in 2014.
She’ll replace Silva Scott, who was appointed by former Town Administrator Gary Ezovski, following the retirement of longtime clerk Deb Todd in September of 2019. Silva Scott, a Pawtucket resident, was a former employee for the town of Cumberland.
Of the change, Zwolenski said only that he decided to exercise his authority under appointments to chose who holds the job.
The clerk position was one of several appointments on the Town Council’s agenda on Tuesday, Feb. 2, and the administrator re-appointed all other municipal staff leaders, serving in departments from planning, to public works.
But Buttie’s name did not appear on the agenda posted with the Secretary of State last week, as she had initially told Zwolenski she was not sure she could take the role due to outside considerations.
Instead, the deputy clerk recommended Tami Jacques, the sister of Town Council President John Beauregard, as the appointment, and Jacques name was listed.
“I like to promote people from within,” Zwolenski told NRI NOW, noting that Jacques, who hired four years ago as an administrative assistant under Ezovski and had worked her way up to recording clerk, was the next in line in terms of tenure. “I look for the highest qualified people we have – and I do not have to go outside house.”
This week, Buttie said that due to some changes, she was comfortable stepping into the position.
Jacques, meanwhile, will take Buttie’s prior job as deputy clerk.
But Zwolenski noted no matter who holds the title, the pair works well together, and shares much of the responsibility.
“They’re colleagues,” he said. “Both have institutional knowledge and great interpersonal skills.”
“She’s going to be a phenomenal town clerk,” he added. “Always cheerful, always professional. The town will be well served.”
Below is the list of additional municipal staff members named for positions at the meeting this week.
Public Works Director – Ray Pendergast
Finance Director – Cynthia DeJesus
Assistant Finance Director – Jerianne Nunes
Town Planner – Tom Kravitz
Building Inspector/Zoning – Kerry Anderson
Assistant Zoning Official – Carl Johnson
Water and Sewer Superintendent – Russell Carpenter
Assistant Water and Sewer Superintendent – Jon MacDonald
Police Chief – Tim Lafferty
EMA Director – Peter Branconnier
Deputy Tax Assessor – Jennifer St. George
Water and Sewer Co-Ordinator – Maura Beck
Parks and Recreation Program – Kathryn Pasquariello
Administrative Assistant (Co-Ordinator to Town Administrator) – Donna Rovedo
Administrative Assistant to Police Chief – Tafida Allen
Plumbing/Mechanical Inspector – Philip Paul
Electrical Inspector – Roger Menard
Assistant Electrical Inspectors – Michael Samborski
Editor’s note: An original version of this article stated that Silva Scott replaced Todd in September. It was September of 2019, not 2020. We apologize for forgetting that time flies – and have corrected the information.
