Portage Lake hires new town manager
By Susan Feeney-Hopkins
Special to The Star-Herald
PORTAGE LAKE — The town of Portage Lake has hired community member Larry Duchette as its new town manager.
Larry Duchette, who was raised in Poland, Maine, became a full-time resident of Portage Lake four years ago after having been a frequent visitor and camp owner for several years prior. He says “the way of life, the woods and people” brought him to the region.
Duchette brings an abundance of life and work experience that he feels has properly prepared him for this management position.
“I consider it like running a small business,” he said, admitting he has “a lot to learn” as he has no prior experience in municipal government. “However, I’m confident in the resources available to me and I look forward to the challenge.”
Having spent 16 years working at Old Castle, a bark and mulch processor in Poland Spring, first as a production manager and then as a project manager, Duchette’s experience speaks for itself. Prior to his position with Old Castle, he also ran his own business building custom homes and was a certified welder and ironworker out of Boston.
When asked why he was interested in applying for the town manager position, Duchette cited his “love for the area and Portage,” also saying he was “looking for something to ground me here” explaining he had been traveling often for work. On a more serious note, Duchette says in this position he “hopes to improve the economics of the area” going on to discuss his observation of the “declining economic situation” the area and its residents have faced over the last several years. His priority as the town manager is to help “develop jobs and bring business to the area.”
As far as his management style, Duchette is “hands on” and wants to “help and be efficient” in all town-related jobs “from the clerk to the public works department.” He feels it’s important for a manager to “know how to do all the jobs” for practical and employee job appreciation purposes.
“It’s important to know and appreciate what everybody does,” he said.
In his spare time, Duchette, who is also a master guide, enjoys fishing, hunting and is an avid snowmobiler. Duchette and his wife, Connie, have one adult son, Jonathan, who resides in Pennsylvania.
Duchette replaces Hollie Umphrey who resigned effective Oct. 1. She had been the town manager for one year.
