After an extended search and multiple job postings, the Board of Selectmen voted Oct. 16 to confirm Town Manager Norman Khumalo’s appointment of David Nalchajian as the town’s senior accounting manager/town accountant.  

“Dave comes to us as a very qualified town accountant,” Khumalo told the board. He also cited Nalchajian’s experience with the municipal finance program, Munis, and said that he will be a tremendous help to the finance team.

Nalchajian comes to Hopkinton from the town of Harvard, where he served as finance director for the past year. Prior to that, he worked for West Newbury and Holliston as the town accountant and has experience as the assistant business manager of Wellesley Public Schools and as the technology manager for Wellesley.

Also confirmed by the selectmen for the newly created position of procurement and grants manager was Benjamin Sweeney, a graduate of Hopkinton High School and Assumption College.

“And it needs to be said,” said Khumalo, “his grandfather was the town’s treasurer several years ago.”

Sweeney is joining the Hopkinton financial team from the Archdiocese of Boston, where he worked most recently as the assistant controller of parishes and before that as finance manager, accounting supervisor and a senior accountant.

Both Nalchajian and Sweeney were questioned briefly by the board before they voted to confirm their appointment.  

Referencing the town accountant’s role, John Coutinho said, “It’s a position we really want to fill.”

Regarding Sweeney’s role, Coutinho said it was a position that had been talked about for the last few years.

“Grants are just so important to municipalities,” said Coutinho. “There’s so much money out there, but having someone with the time and the expertise to go out there and find them is the important thing.”

Both Nalchajian and Sweeney will start Tuesday, Nov. 13.