Chelmsford Energy Manager Announces Resignation

Chelmsford will bid goodbye to its energy manager Friday, Nov. 13, as Mashail Arif plans a move to California ahead of her Jan. 1 wedding.

Arif has served as the town’s energy manager since August 2014 after the town received a grant to fund 50 percent of her position. A job posting is up on the town website, and Arif said the town is looking to fill her position as soon as possible.

“It’s a big job, but I think it’s a very unique position in the sense that you get to see a project through from start to finish,” Arif said. “I’ve loved it. The job is what you make of it. The energy manager gets to decide what you want to do with your job.”

During her time as energy manager, among other projects, Arif oversaw the implementation of 27 potentially energy saving updates across the town’s municipal buildings (the report for how much energy those changes have saved is due around the end of November), the completion of the high school solar project and the beginning of the community-choice energy aggregation option.

“I’d like to commend the town,” Arif said.” The board of selectmen, the town manager, the DPW director, everyone is really encouraging when it comes to applying for these energy projects.

“The town has a history of being energy-conscious,” Arif continued. “The newest energy project that’s out there, you can bet Chelmsford is doing it. It’s been great to work for a community that’s committed to green energy.”

Arif’s position is 50 percent grant-funded through June 2016. After that, she said, she understands the town plans to pick up that 50 percent and continue funding the position.

Arif will hand off the details of her ongoing projects to her managers who will then work with the new energy manager to continue those. She has also agreed to work with the new energy manager directly should that person be hired before Arif moves to California in mid-December.

“The town needs to realize how important this position is,” Arif said. “All these projects I’m working on wouldn’t have been possible if there wasn’t an energy manager position.”