Two key leaders in Brookline’s town government are departing, including one who had been on paid administrative leave since July 1. The apparently unrelated resignations will shake up the Human Resources and Finance departments.
Finance Director Lincoln Heineman resigned from his position on Friday, Sept. 4, more than two months after he was placed on paid administrative leave, according to Town Administrator Charles Carey.
Carey and town communications director Christina Metcalf declined to share further details about the leave or the resignation. Heineman did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, Ann Braga, the town’s human resources director, told the Select Board last week that she will be leaving her position in October to “pursue work in the employee well-being and neurodiversity coaching space.”
Heineman came to Brookline in 2022 after serving in similar positions in Hanover and Whitman. Braga has worked for the town since 2019.
Finance director duties
As Brookline’s finance director, Heineman led a team whose wide-ranging duties include tax assessments, procurement and payroll.
The department’s staff will cover these responsibilities the town hires a replacement, according to Carey.
Human resources director duties
Braga leads the department responsible for hiring town workers, overseeing collective bargaining negotiations, managing employee benefits and considering complaints and grievances.
Before hiring a new director, the town will rethink how the human resources department is organized, Carey said.
The Select Board voted on Tuesday to hire the consulting firm Capital Strategic Solutions to provide “interim leadership and oversight,” according to the published contract.
The firm will also “conduct an operational review of the Human Resources function and provide practical recommendations to strengthen processes, policies, service delivery, and overall organizational effectiveness,” the contract says.
The board agreed to pay the consultant $170 an hour, with the total cost of the contract not to exceed $50,000.
