By Amelia Sipkin ’25 and Eva Swanson ’25
After serving 20 consecutive terms, Wallingford’s former mayor, Mr. William Dickinson Jr., has recently left office, along with his Administrative Aide Ms. Joan Stave. Ms. Stave has been serving the town for even longer than Mr. Dickinson, retiring after a 44-year tenure. She will be replaced by Ms. Cori Hass.
The role Ms. Stave played in the Mayor’s Office was essential to the well-being of the Wallingford community. Her duties included sending out press releases, controlling communication between public service departments, and representing the office’s public relations.
“[Ms. Stave] is very skilled. She has a lot of knowledge about [Wallingford] and the services that are provided,” Mr. Dickinson said. He described her as “calm, focused, always appropriate and approachable,” and having a “good sense of humor.”
Ms. Stave allowed Mr. Dickinson to focus on bigger-picture issues by dealing with the day-to-day matters. “I wasn’t reviewing every decision and making the final decision. She handles those things, so [she was a] true administrative aide,” he said.
Ms. Stave also enjoyed working alongside Mr. Dickinson as his administrative aide, which encouraged her to remain in her post for a long time. “He’s just a great person,” she said. “[He] always had the citizens in mind … He’s just a very nice man, and it was a pleasure to work with him and for him.”
While Ms. Stave is looking forward to retirement and being able to spend more time with her grandchildren, she enjoyed her time working in the Mayor’s Office. “There’s a lot of memories. It’s the people that I’ve worked with throughout the years, including the mayor, that have made this a really rewarding experience, and it’s going to be hard for me to leave,” she said.
Earlier this month, on January 2, the Mayor’s Office announced that Ms. Cori Hass was selected to be the mayor’s new Administrative Aide. The selection process was extensive and included classified service protocols and interviews with six applicants as part of a collaborative effort between Mr. Dickinson and the new Mayor of Wallingford, Mr. Vincent Cervoni, to choose the best candidate.
Ms. Hass is a graduate of Wilcox Technical High in Meriden and holds an Associate degree in Business Administration from Middlesex Community College. She worked in the Human Resources Department for SensorSwitch, a lighting control company; in October 2020, she began working as a Human Resources assistant in the Wallingford Human Resources Department.
Since the beginning of her tenure, she has ascended through the ranks of the Mayor’s Office. She was appointed as Executive Secretary in the Mayor’s Office last March before becoming the Mayor’s Administrative Aide.
Ms. Hass’s interest in the job stems from the variety of work involved: “Each day is different than the next, which I find interesting,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed every moment of my time here…my intention is only to perform to the best of my ability each day.”
Members of the Mayor’s Office look forward to working with Ms. Hass. Describing her as “the perfect liaison between residents and the Mayor’s Office,” Mr. Cervoni said that she possessed “the personality traits, demeanor, and capabilities [for the position], in addition to a strong knowledge of the operations of the Mayor’s Office.”
“I am looking forward to working with Ms. Hass. We are entrusted with providing services to the Wallingford community, and she will be a great help in our efforts to enhance our town,” Mr. Cervoni said.
