Pooler to retire as Arlington town manager

After serving for a quarter century in municipal government, Arlington Town Manager Sandy Pooler will be retiring on July 28.

Pooler has been working in Arlington since 2016, first as deputy town manager and then as deputy town manager/finance director and then as town manager for the past year. He previously served as finance director in Amherst from 2011 to 2016, and worked for 11 years in Newton, first as the chief budget officer and then as the city’s chief administrative officer. He previously served as legal counsel to several committees in the House of Representatives, and was a law clerk for a federal district judge in California.

The MMA Fiscal Policy Committee honored Pooler for his service during its June 27 meeting, and the town is holding a retirement party for Pooler on July 27. In retirement, Pooler said he plans to travel and continue teaching at the UMass McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies.

James Feeney will take over as town manager in Arlington on Aug. 1. Feeney started in Arlington in 2009 as health compliance officer, and his roles have since included acting director of health and human services, acting recreation director, and interim facilities director. He served as assistant town manager from 2016 to 2019, and became deputy town manager for operations in 2021.

During his time in Arlington, Feeney has also served as a lead facilitator at Boston University’s Office of Distance Education. He has bachelor’s degree in health science and a master’s degree in public health in epidemiology, both from Boston University.