Fenwick Island Council Promotes Building Official To Town Manager

FENWICK ISLAND – The Fenwick Island Town Council has hired Pat Schuchman as the new town manager.

In a unanimous vote last Friday, the town council appointed Schuchman, a long-time town employee, as the next Fenwick Island town manager.

“This individual probably doesn’t need an introduction, but I’m very pleased on behalf of this council – and I believe I speak for every single one of us – that we have named Pat Schuchman as the new town manager of Fenwick Island,” said Councilwoman Natalie Magdeburger, a member of the town’s search committee.

Schuchman began working for Fenwick Island in 1997. Starting as a secretary, she worked her way up through the ranks to become the town’s building official, interpreting and enforcing the town’s building and zoning regulations and reviewing permit applications.

Magdeburger said Schuchman was one of more than 20 individuals from five different states to apply for the town manager position.

“A lot of them had salary requirements that clearly were beyond anything that our town could justify,” she said. “They were very talented. There were MBAs, PhDs and people who have been town managers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. And towards the end of that search process, we got a really neat application. As soon as we saw it, we got really excited because it sort of epitomized exactly what we were looking to have in Fenwick.”

Magdeburger noted that Schuchman had 45 years of experience in administration and 25 years of experience in municipal government. She noted Schuchman’s strong work ethic and relationships with residents, business owners and state and federal agencies would serve the town well in her role as the new town manager.

“Most importantly, this candidate knew Fenwick,” Magdeburger said. “This candidate knew our character and, dare I say it, the characters we have here in Fenwick. When we presented this candidate for selection, it was a unanimous choice on behalf of the council.”

For her part, Schuchman said she is honored to serve as the new town manager. She also acknowledged her family and coworkers for their support.

“I would like to thank the mayor and town council for this opportunity,” she said. “It is my privilege to serve as your new town manager. We have a great town staff here. Together, we are going to offer and provide the level of service that you’ve come to expect from your town employees.”

The council last week also voted to appoint Raelene Menominee, the town clerk, as the new town administrator.

“In reorganizing, we also realized we needed to take another look at the town clerk’s position,” Mayor Vicki Carmean said, “and we have decided to change that to a town administrator’s position.”

Magdeburger said Menominee had taken on more responsibilities in the last year and would use her knowledge and expertise to serve as the town’s new administrator.

“We couldn’t be more pleased, and we see she does her job as a town clerk very well. But we want to challenge her, and I think she’s very much up to the challenge …,” she said. “She’ll be working with Pat a great deal, and Pat is going to impart all the knowledge that she has collected in the last 25 years.”

The council last week also introduced Erin Ellinger as the town’s new police clerk and voted unanimously to extend the position from part time to full time.

“I’m so pleased, and I think the council is so pleased, that she would be the right one to do it on a full-time basis and is willing to do so,” Magdeburger said.

About The Author: Bethany Hooper

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Bethany Hooper has been with The Dispatch since 2016. She currently covers various general stories. Hooper graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 2012 and the University of Maryland in 2016, where she completed double majors in journalism and economics.