Local Spotlight: Diana Asanza

When Diana Asanza’s husband was considering a new job in Maine fifteen years ago, she accompanied him on a weekend visit to see what she could see.

“We were moving from North Attleboro, and had never been to Portland before,” she recounted recently over a cup of coffee. “It was in mid-summer, and we had two boys, the oldest about to finish high school, and the youngest finishing elementary school.”

She strolled the streets of Maine’s largest city, did some shopping, and came away impressed.

“We’ve loved it,” she said with a smile, and you can almost sense a bit of regret as she prepares to step down from her current post as the town manager, a role she has filled since 2021. Her announced date of departure is July 3.

Asanza was hired by Old Orchard Beach to serve as finance director and treasurer in 2012. At the time, the town had employed five finance directors over the space of eighteen months. A long serving finance director, Jill Eastman, had departed and various candidates were hired and didn’t work out, until Asanza answered the call.

Before her family’s move to Maine, she had served in a similar role in North Attleboro. And the job didn’t come easily: it was an elected position, and she had to do her share of door knocking and hand shaking.

“When I ran, it was against a name known in town,” she said. “I won by 24 votes.” And her opponent did not have a background in finance. An interesting system that Asanza believes has changed to an appointed position since her time.

Asanza stopped working in order to assume the role of full-time mom with the birth of her youngest. Next came the move to Maine.

Asanza speaks well of her time in Old Orchard Beach. She points to former town manager and town council member Larry Mead, and to current council chair Shawn O’Neil as stabilizing influences.

“This council has been so supportive,” she said of the current lineup of O’Neil, vice chair Kenny Blow, Jay Kelley, Connor Rague and Michael Tousignant.

Asanza spoke glowingly of various staff members, and of her staff as a whole.

“David Pinkham (public works director) came from Scarborough, and has been in place for a year. When you’ve worked in the trenches, gotten your hands dirty and are willing to jump back in if the need arises, the staff really responds.”

“Jeremy Court, our wastewater director, came from Biddeford only three months ago,” she said. “The wastewater plant is going through a $32 million upgrade and expansion. His team’s very young, he’s hired a new operations manager, and the whole group is striving toward professional development.”               

Asanza pointed to Fire Chief John Gilboy, a 32-year veteran of the department, as a stabilizing force on the public safety side of things.

Old Orchard Beach approved its municipal budget during the council meeting June 16, noted Asanza when we spoke the next morning.

“The council voted to use the unassigned fund balance to reduce the tax burden,” she said, in an effort to keep the new tax rate under $12 per $1,000 of valuation. “We usually tap it (the fund balance) for $500,000 per year, but we’re hopeful that (parking) meter revenue and short-term rentals licensing will be productive.” The council is likely to discuss the potential for regulating and imposing fees on short term rentals in the fall, she said.

Asanza’s appreciation of all things Old Orchard Beach is evident as she talks.

She communicates regularly with Superintendent of schools John Suttie. A process to consider the construction of a new school – whether it will be at the elementary or middle school level is to be determined – will begin soon, she shared.

Asanza noted that “OOB is an extremely tight-knit community,” and offers as evidence a collaboration between the town and the schools resulted in 150 boxed meals being prepared and distributed around the time of last Thanksgiving.

When asked about current happenings and what she’ll remember after her departure, she’s quick to offer a list.

“We’ve gotten a fair bit of infrastructure addressed in recent years,” including paving, and sewer and stormwater lines, she said.

While the town has licensed both seasonal and year-round rental properties for years, it is now in its third year of partnering with the Greater Portland Council of Governments to consider how best to manage the short-term rental market.

In addition, long time town planner Jeffrey Hinderliter recently departed, and has been replaced by Michael Foster, who has served as assistant planner for the past seven years. One of Foster’s immediate duties will be to complete the review of the draft comprehensive plan, then bring it forward for town council review, and eventual acceptance at the state level.

The town is now working with the University of New England on a monitoring program that includes the installation of data loggers, including the continuous monitoring of the tidal gate at New Salt Road.  Also, a $2 million beach restoration project spearheaded by York County Emergency Management Agency Director Art Cleaves is underway.

Bob Hamblen is a freelance writer from Saco. He can be reached at rhh0918@gmail.com.