SHREWSBURY – Kevin Mizikar, who has served as Shrewsbury’s town manager since 2017, received his annual performance review from the Select Board on April 23.
Each Select Board member filled out an evaluation of Mizikar’s performance; the evaluations were then compiled by the town’s human resources department. The review process also included a staff survey, a 360 review and six interviews of town staff members conducted by two Select Board members. Mizikar was judged on a scale ranging from one (needs improvement) to four (outstanding). Select Board Chair Beth Casavant noted the survey had a strong participation rate. Mizikar also completed a self-assessment.
Mizikar scored highly in several categories, including professional integrity, community engagement, financial management, equity and inclusion, staff effectiveness and strategic leadership. All in all, Mizikar earned an average 3.4 score, which falls between the “exceeds” and “outstanding” categories. In the categories, staff members pointed to how Mizikar treats his staff extremely well, utilizes modern and helpful technology and remains calm, even when dealing with stressful situations.
One anonymous staff member described him as a “true visionary.”
“The value of having a competent, capable, trustworthy town manager should not be taken for granted. Residents and businesses should be aware of how important it is that Kevin Mizikar chose to work in Shrewsbury seven years ago and continues to choose Shrewsbury each day,” another staff member wrote.
In his self-assessment, Mizikar continually attributed his success to his strong team. While the Select Board members seemed to appreciate the humility, they also acknowledged that any good team typically has an excellent leader. While some towns have shied away from the 360 review, as it typically leads to lower scores for the subject, Mizikar specifically requested that style of feedback and was given high marks from myriad anonymous employees.
“We all recognize that he has set the tone for the team to be able to work autonomously and achieve those goals. That’s a credit to the culture that’s been created,” said Casavant.
