Michael Faass, the recently hired town administrator, stands in front of Dresden Town Office on Wednesday. The Georgia transplant previously worked in education. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal Buy this Photo
DRESDEN — Michael Faass likes to make an impact wherever he goes.
Whether it’s at the alternative education school in which he worked before he landed the job as Dresden’s new town administrator, or making his start in local government.
“I’m doing something that I’m trained for,” Faass said of his new role. “And in addition, I’m in a situation where I have an opportunity to make an impact on who I serve in a positive manor.”
Faass made the move to Maine from Cumming, Georgia, with his wife, Kathy, and his 24-year-old son who decided to join them because he wanted a change.
Kathy’s family is from Long Island, New York, and heard from friends that the central area of Maine needed some art programs. Being a graphic designer, she applied for an art teacher job and soon enough, the Faass family moved to Edgecomb.
Faass saw an ad for the town administrator job in November when Michael Henderson resigned from the role after working three years for the town. Henderson is planning to move back to Oregon with his wife in order to be closer to their family.
The job marks Faass’ first in local government, but having gotten his masters in public administration from the University of Northern Georgia 10 years prior, he thought he was the perfect fit.
In Georgia, he worked with students at a nontraditional school. Some of his students had been emancipated, been in-and-out of jail, or were a couple of grade levels behind the educational standards.
“One of the things that I liked about working there was that I had a direct impact,” Faass said. “I wanted to be in a situation where I was making a direct impact and where I was doing something that was immediate, or could see the immediate implications of what I was doing.”
Faass hopes to bring his experience in having a direct impact to Dresden through local government — his main goal is to help the town grow.
Though he is unable to get out and get to know the residents of Dresden through events or knocking on doors because of the coronavirus, he has started to familiarize himself with them.
Faass said that he has gotten to know Dresden residents when they come through the town office with the help of the town clerk and tax collectors, Ann Pierce and Lisa Hewitt, respectively, as they introduce him to everyone.
“We all wear a mask here, but Ann can recognize people as they come through here with a mask on,” Faass said. “It amazes me.”
He said he wants to dedicate himself to not only help the town grow, but provide and help with whatever services are needed to help make the town stronger.
“We love it up here, we really do,” Faass said. “I love the people and it’s a wonderful place to be.”
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