The Parks & Recreation Commission on Tuesday voted to begin the first steps in hiring Cody Herd as the town’s new Parks & Rec director.

The vote came after the commission met with Herd, who is the recreation coordinator for Grafton’s Recreation Department. Chair Kyle Smith explained he brought Herd before the commission after weeks of interviews with eligible candidates.

Herd reviewed his qualifications for the commission, noting he had been with the town of Grafton since 2016 in a number of roles. He started as Grafton’s beach director and spent some time in the town’s assessor’s office before transferring into the Recreation Department full-time in 2022.

“I was thrown right into programs and events,” Herd said of the transition to his current role in Grafton.

He also noted he has a long history of waterfront experience, having served as a lifeguard for almost 20 years at ocean beaches, local ponds and pools throughout southern New England.

Commission members asked Herd about his experience with executive management, including budgeting, town-level meetings and capital projects. Herd spoke to his experience helping the current and former Grafton Recreation directors develop the department’s general fund budget, including planning for potential cuts. He recounted having to manage uncertainty with seasonal staff when the town was facing budget shortfalls prior to a successful override.

“We were very fortunate the override passed,” said Herd. “We were ready for a cut and just were fortunate it didn’t happen.”

When asked about how he would approach managing Hopkinton Parks & Rec, Herd complimented the current state of the department. “I don’t think much can be done to grow other than refining,” he said. He added that he would consider developing a strategic plan once coming on board to identify what the big goals of the department are and what day-to-day work would look like.

Debate arose among commissioners following the interview with Herd about his lack of direct executive leadership and how much support would be required should he be offered the director position. Smith stressed Herd’s decade of experience in a comparable town and lauded his experience with open waters as “a huge plus.”

“What does the commission feel about allowing somebody — or giving somebody — the opportunity to potentially grow into the role that they don’t currently have?” Smith asked.

Both Parks & Rec program coordinator Colleen Allen and commissioner Lynn Taylor spoke to the current state of the department and the work former director Jon Lewitus did to set it up for success. Allen also pointed to the fact Herd is rooted locally as a resident of Millville, and had a greater potential of sticking around.

“I feel like he’s going to take the time to learn and grow … and give this town — this department — some stability and staying power,” said Allen.

“He’s coming into something that’s already working well, and we have two seasoned people that are already here that can help him … with that learning curve as well,” added Taylor.

Commissioners also discussed whether there was any value in restarting the hiring process in another 60 days if Parks & Rec was not ready to move forward with Herd. Member Amy O’Donnell stated she had no belief that the commission could find someone else in that time span who would check every single box.

“I think we, as a group, have the maturity to take someone on and help them,” said O’Donnell.

Following the discussion, the commission voted unanimously to authorize the town’s Human Resources Department to begin negotiations with Herd.