Russ Dean gets new contract: 5 things to know about Exeter’s longest serving town manager

EXETER — Russ Dean is the longest-serving town manager in Exeter history, and his tenure is set to continue.

On Monday, the Select Board announced they recently approved a new one-year contract, effective Dec. 28 through Dec. 27, 2024, that will keep Dean on for his 19th year. The new contract also comes with a 9% salary increase from $140,932 to $154,000.

The one-year contract differs from his previous one in which he received a seven-year extension in 2016.

Russ Dean has been Exeter’s town manager since 2005. The Select Board recently offered him a new one-year contract.

Dean noted the contract is “different” than prior ones but includes language for a “successor agreement” to be negotiated within six months.

“It was just a product of negotiation,” said Dean of the one-year contract. “I’m just looking forward to continuing to serve.”

Select Board Chair Niko Papakonstantis said the board is “excited” and is “looking forward” to working with Dean in 2024.

Here are five things you might not have known about Exeter’s longest-serving town manager:

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Dean has a degree in broadcast journalism and interned at WLVI Boston

A Stratham native and Exeter High School graduate in 1987, Dean decided to go to college across the country at Arizona State University.

“I wanted to be a small fish in a big pond,” he said. “I just wanted to go where nobody knew who I was … with a lot of people I didn’t know and trying to get used to a new climate and a new situation.”

His major was not public administration but broadcast journalism, and a minor in political science.

After college, he interned at WLVI (Channel 56) but soon realized he enjoyed government and politics more than reporting. He then decided to get his master’s in public administration at the University of New Hampshire.

That led to a job at the town manager’s office in Barnstable, Massachusetts, which “springboarded” his career. He went on to work in local governments in Rochester, Reading and Needham, Massachusetts, before landing his dream job in Exeter.

Russ Dean has been Exeter’s town manager for almost 20 years and not looking to retire anytime soon.

He described his journey as a “full circle.”

“I grew up next door, and I went to school here, so I have a passion for the town,” he said. “That passion is hard to match in another town that you’re not from. It’s unique to serve as a town manager from where you grew up, not everybody gets to do that.”

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Dean is a music aficionado and has multiple playlists

In a corner office on the second floor of the Town Offices at 10 Front St., Dean can often be found listening to music on his JBL Flip 5 speaker. He said he is never without music, taking his AirPods with him on strolls around downtown or beaches of the Seacoast.

A self-proclaimed Dewey Finn, a fictional character played by Jack Black from the movie “School of Rock,” Dean takes his music seriously, often curating his playlist rather than playing random songs.

“I have in my phone: Awesome Setlist 1, I have Awesome Setlist 2 and I have Awesome Setlist 3,” he said. “Each one of those awesome setlists is about four hours long. I can just put it on, and it’ll go for hours.”

From his favorite rock bands Rush and The Who, to listening to rappers Travis Scott to Kendrick Lamar on the radio – and his son’s playlist – Dean’s taste in music varies, saying he’s always open to trying out new genres.

“When I’m listening to the radio, I’ll listen to The River (92.5) a lot because they mix in older songs, but they also mix in newer songs,” he said. “That’s how I get exposed to more … new – what I consider to be new – music.”

But behind the man with over 10,000 songs in his Apple Music, Dean is “pretty much more of a straight-ahead rock-and-roll guy.” On his desk are Pete Townshend and Dire Straits discs, and stacks of David Bowie vinyl.

Russ Dean has been Exeter’s town manager since 2005. The Select Board recently offered him a new one-year contract.

One of his prized possessions is an original copy of Bowie’s “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” that he got in 1985. The same record, which he bought for $8.50 then, is selling upwards of $300 today – but Dean has no plans to sell it.

“Inside has the lyrics (of the songs), which is how you know it’s an original along with the serial number on the cover,” he explained of the vinyl.

A Bowie fan, Dean said he would relive the moment when he watched one of Bowie’s live performances. The year was 1987, and Dean and his friend David Squier had driven to Giants Stadium in New Jersey for the show.

“I was in the front row,” he reminisced. “That was a full sold-out show. I looked at the back of me … in front of a dark full stadium all lit up with people. It was incredible.”

Dean is a softball coach and long-time baseball fan

Dean has been collecting baseball cards since he was 7.

On his desk in his office, he has a baseball with signatures of Red Sox stars such as Jim Rice, Jerry Remy, Carney Lansford, Tony Perez and Carl Yastrzemski covering the ball.

“It was actually given to me,” he said. “The coach of the (Little League) team was one of my friend’s dad, (he) actually went to the Red Sox, got all these balls signed, and then handed them out to the kids on the team. I just happened to be one of the kids on the team.”

His love of baseball did not translate as a player, but it did as a coach. Along with assistant coach Tracy WIlliams, Dean coaches the U14/16 girls Dynamite softball team. His daughter, Sara, plays for the team.

“Sara has been playing softball since she was 8 years old,” he said. “She’s gone through U8, U10, U12, and I’ve been lucky enough to be part of two great programs in town.”

Dean has had over 20 bosses as Exeter’s town manager

One different – and difficult – part of the job is having multiple bosses, said Dean.

“I think it starts – in almost every instance – with being fair with people, and being even-handed and treating people equally,” he said, referring to his approach to the job. “It’s not easy to have five bosses … and they rotate out, you don’t have the same bosses all the time.”

Throughout his 18 years in the position, Dean said he has had over 20 different bosses on the Select Board.

“It’s one of those things that you do have to continue to cultivate the relationship, not just with the board but with other people in the community as well,” he said. “Stay visible, you may not know who’s your next boss.”

Over the years, Dean said he has one rule when a new boss is appointed: “to be very respectful of your elected officials … treat it and nurture (the relationship) well and make sure it’s working for the town.

“They have certain authorities under the statute,” he said, referring to the Select Board members. “They are empowered to make those decisions, and, in those situations, my job is to give them the best recommendation I can.”

Dean says he has more to accomplish

Also on Dean’s desk sits stacks of town reports dating back to 2005, his first year being Exeter’s town manager.

“I’ll go back, and I’ll sort of look at old town reports, and I’ll look at the different things that have happened along the way,” he said. “It gives me a sense of where we’ve been versus where we are today.”

Russ Dean has been Exeter’s town manager since 2005. The Select Board recently offered him a new one-year contract.

While reminiscing, he said two factors stuck out: the change in workforce and COVID-19.

“It used to be a traditional type of workplace,” he said. “Now – we’re late to the game – but we have casual Fridays for example. We’re looking at a remote work policy for the town… and part of that is in response to the labor market looking at the outside world as well.”

His biggest challenge to date, he said, was navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“COVID was something that turned everyone in the town upside down,” he said. “COVID was just a different animal.”

While he’s proud of his record, Dean said there is so much more to do.

“I don’t like to rest on things that are done, but I will say that I’m very proud of a lot of the things that we’ve accomplished over the years,” he said.

At 54, Dean said he’s not ready to retire.

“I’ve been doing this job since I was 35 years old,” he said. “I’m really only looking to work in this profession for probably another 10 years or so, and then we’ll see what the future brings out at that point.”

For now, Dean said he’s focused on making the town a better place.

“There’s a lot of projects on the docket, so that’s definitely something that’ll keep me going,” he said. “I’m enjoying my kids (with) both being in high school right now and enjoying my family and just trying to keep things going.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter’s longest serving Town Manager Russ Dean gets 1-year contract