Former Arlington Manager Chapdelaine Picked as MMA Leader

Massachusetts Municipal Association Represents All 351 Municipalities

Adam Chapdelaine, deputy director of the Boston Green Ribbon Commission, has been tapped as the next executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

Chapdelaine previously served as president of the MMA, as well as town manager of Arlington and city administrator for Fall River.

The MMA Board of Directors made the selection during a meeting Friday.

Geoff Beckwith, the outgoing head of the MMA, announced his September retirement — coinciding with his 65th birthday — in January. Beckwith, who’s served as executive director for 31 years, said in a Jan. 11 post that it’s the “right time” to transition into a new phase and focus on family, writing, researching, teaching and mentoring.

“This has not been an easy decision, as I still feel great energy and passion for this amazing job, which I love very much,” Beckwith wrote. “I am inspired every day by our extraordinary members and staff, and I know that MMA has exciting and important work to do in the months and years ahead.”

The MMA represents all 351 municipalities, and it aims to develop and advocate for unified policies to make municipal government operations more efficient. The organization reviews about 3,000 pieces of legislation each year and testifies on about 100 bills, according to its website.

“I’ve spent seventy-five percent of my career and nearly half my life at the MMA,” Beckwith wrote. “During this time, my colleagues on the staff have improved every part of our operation. They have expanded our services, modernized our systems, and built a truly impactful organization. The credit for all our gains belongs with these dedicated and gifted professionals. My only real accomplishment has been to hire and support them as best I could along the way.”