Downtown Leader Picked for Asst. Town Administrator Job

The man who joined the downtown business improvement district in the fall as its executive director was selected as a New England town's new assistant township administrator Tuesday night.

was approved by officials in Grafton, Mass., Tuesday night at the recommendation of his new boss, Grafton Town Administrator Timothy McInerney.

He serves as the executive director of the in Toms River.

His experience includes serving as an intern in the West Virginia Senate, followed by work at both the state and federal levels in Morgantown, W.Va., the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Township of Mount Holly, N.J., according to his profile on the Toms River Business Development Corp. website.

During his time with the Department of Energy, he worked for four months on  a project in the White House, he told Grafton selectmen, who are the town's elected governing body.

Mizikar holds both a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in public administration from West Virginia University, according to the site.

He told selectmen he was looking forward to working in Grafton. Municipal government interests him greatly, he said.

He is looking to move to the area from his home in Lumberton, N.J. He will start his new job April 11.

He was selected from more than 45 candidates, McInerney said. Of that field, 23 were interviewed by a reviewing committee that included the  town clerk, police chief and other staff members and residents.

They narrowed the field to eight candidates, who were then interviewed by McInerney.

More from Toms River Patch on this story, first reported by Grafton Patch.