Kennebunk's charge toward economic vitality has a new leader in Stephen Houdlette

KENNEBUNK, Maine — Stephen Houdlette, the town’s new director of economic vitality, remembers the first time he experienced the joy and satisfaction that happens when a community succeeds in boosting its economy.

It was a little after the recession in 2009. Houdlette served as a senior economic development associate for the City of Somerville, Massachusetts, at the time. An envelope factory went under, and, all of a sudden, the city had a huge industrial space that needed a new life. Everyone was wondering what to do with the place.

In his profession, Houdlette had established a relationship with a “makerspace,” consisting of people of shared interests in engineering, technology, computing, and other related areas. Through those connections, the factory started to revive with new businesses – a development that sparked surrounding growth too. An existential threat to the area gave way to economic revitalization, according to Houdlette.

“You find the right match, and it snowballs into something very positive,” Houdlette said. “Seeing that happen in a pretty short time span, in what was sort of a bleak time, economically … it really hooks you. You can kind of see how small leverage can really help people out … It’s about shared progress.”

Houdlette reported to the Kennebunk Town Hall for his first day on the job on Monday, June 26.

“Stephen brings with him a valuable blend of experience from both the public and private sectors,” Town Manager Heather Blaser said. “His extensive background in economic development, consulting, research, and data analysis makes him a great fit for this role.”

As many as 21 individuals applied for the position, according to Balser.

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The Kennebunk Select Board had expected to confirm Balser’s nomination of Houdlette during its meeting on June 27. However, due to a lack of a quorum that evening, the Select Board instead was expected to take that action during a special meeting on July 5.

Once confirmed, Houdlette’s term will expire on June 30, 2024, when all town appointments will end. His salary is $108,589.

Before coming to Kennebunk, Houdlette worked for the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority in Portland and was a remote consultant for Camoin Associates of Saratoga Springs, New York.

Houdlette earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics, with a minor in mathematics, from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

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Houdlette is the town’s first full-time economic developer in six years. In March, the town began advertising for the position, which Halser renamed “Director of Economic Vitality.”

“Economic vitality speaks more to the long-term economic sustainability of the town,” Balser said at the time.

The new name worked. Indeed, the word “vitality” stood out to Houdlette when he came across the job listing.

“The title is interesting – a little bit of a grabber,” he said. “I mean, Kennebunk has a national, maybe even international, reputation. It’s not one type of community. There are a lot of different stakeholders, a lot going on here.”

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Kennebunk includes beaches, the west end of town, the downtown, the part connecting to Route 95, and the stretch of Route 1 that passes through the community – all of those factors, operating in each their own ways, are strengths, Houdlette added.

Houdlette said one of his goals is to help make the downtown a bit more “seven days a week,” with the community taking fuller, daily advantage of public spaces, such as the Waterhouse Center and nearby parks, and commercial opportunities.

“It’s not quite a finished product, but it’s a downtown that has been heavily invested in,” he said.

Houdlette said cellular connectivity is one challenge the community faces, as there are pockets in town that do not get clear service. Kennebunk is “not a metropolis,” he said, but it is a “very well-developed, longstanding area,” so it is surprising to see connectivity be an issue here. He said connectivity is important for all who want to live, work, play and be of service to others in the community.

“Hopefully, we can figure it out,” he said.

Houdlette succeeds Mathew Eddy, who directed the town’s economic development efforts for a few years until he moved on in 2017.

Houdlette will work with the municipal leadership and staff, as well as the town’s Economic Development Committee and local stakeholders. Their shared goal will be to “develop strong community connections, retain and expand Kennebunk businesses, attract new businesses, and promote Kennebunk’s value as a desirable business location,” according to Balser.

Houdlette will design and manage strategies, programs and outreach that support the town’s overall vision for sustainable economic vitality and development. He also will be the first point of contact when it comes to economic development initiatives. Houdlette will also “provide consistent excellent customer service to residents, businesses and developers,” according to Balser.

Houdlette is a native of Maine, currently living in Portland with his wife, Meghan, an engineer, and two young children. With this new phase in his career, he said he has impressions of what he would like to do in Kennebunk, but added that he’s not sure yet if they are good ideas. He said he already has had a lot of conversations with people.

“People are excited,” he said. “I think they’ve been eager to have this position filled and to have more capacity to go after these projects.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunk welcomes new economic vitality director with passion for community growth