WARREN — David Burlingame has officially tended his resignation as the Warren's finance director, doing so formally with a letter directed to the town council and placed on its meeting agenda Tuesday night, June 10.

"It really been a pleasure and I appreciate your support guidance and for giving me the opportunity to work with such terrific colleagues," Burlingame said when the item was brought to the floor during the monthly report of Town Manager Brian Sullivan.

Also on the docket from the manager was his recommendation to hire Gary Marshall, a long-time employee in neighboring Bristol, as new finance director.

I've been with the Town of Bristol for 17 years, so I have a lot of municipal experience," Marshall said in brief introductory remarks last Tuesday. "And so I'm looking forward to getting into this."

Burlingame departs the crucial role after spending some 17 months in the position. His brief tenure included shepherding the town through an unexpected financial crunch during the fiscal years of 2024 and 2025, brought on by a sudden settlement of a lawsuit brought against its fire and rescue department to the toon of $13 million. Warren's share of the agreement was $8 million with immediate impact to the budget. The Rhode Island Interlocal Trust, the town's insurer, paid the $5 million remainder.

"Mr. Burlingame, I want to thank you, and I appreciate your service to the town. And it wasn't easy coming in like you did. It was rough waters, and you rode them out pretty well," Town Council President Joseph DePasquale said in remarks directed to the out-going director. "And I truly do hope that you enjoyed your time here because it wasn't easy. And I know I was a little hard on you, but you rose to the occasion and did what we asked."

Vice President Keri Cronin, in her remarks, added her congratulations and a light-hearted jab to Burlingame, I would like to also say thank you and wish you well and relaxation in your retirement. You're not going to work for somebody else, are you?"

Going and coming
Cronin was referencing Burlingame's very active late career curriculum vitae.

A retired lieutenant colonel from the United States Army, in which he served for over two decades. Thereafter, Burlingame spent over 25 years in the private sector while residing in Virginia before retiring briefly.

He returned to Rhode Island, where he re-entered public employment first with the state's department of administration, then back to private employ as an administrator at the Rocky Hill School in East Greenwich.

The Bristol resident next sought what was the vacant Warren finance director position after it opened upon his predecessor, Fung Chan, stepping away in late 2023. Burlingame took over the role on December 21 of that year. His last day in town will be July 11.

"I think it was a learning curve for both of us," Town Manager Brian Sullivan, who actually took over his position some three months after Burlingame, said about working with the director. "He's a hard worker. He's a military guy, so he knew the mission and he wanted to do the mission as best he could. He'd be working nights and weekends to try to do the best that he could. He wanted to fulfill the mission. And he would do anything he would do whatever he took to get the mission complete."

Marshall's "mission" has been spent mostly in his hometown. He's worked 15 years as deputy treasurer in Bristol and the last two as the business manager for the Bristol Police Department. Marshall is a graduate of the former Bristol High and later attended Roger Williams University. His first day in town will be June 30.

"He comes with quite a bit of experience, 25 years in the accounting field," Sullivan said of Marshall. "And he's got municipal experience, 17 years, which is an important aspect of the position."

The manager added during the meeting, "There were several candidates that were good candidates that we interviewed...We believe he's going to be able to jump right in."

From the time Marshall joins the administration and Burlingame leaves, Sullivan said "there'll be like a transition period, a soft hand-off type of thing."

DePasquale noted Burlingame did not enjoy the luxury of settling into the position, saying, "I appreciate the fact that you will be here to assist the new finance director and show him the ropes, because you didn't have that privilege. You came into an empty office and a town that was in a mess."

Zoning, assessor notes
On a related note, Sullivan said he and other town officials will soon meet with potential candidates to fill the vacant tax accessor position, which became available, coincidentally, upon the departure of Kristopher Leadem to Bristol for a similar role.

"We're in the process of setting up interviews," added Sullivan, who expects to have a candidate for hire to emerge from the group. "The expectation is to have someone take the position by July 1."

Also on the June 10 agenda was another letter of resignation, this one being from zoning board member and current body chairman Andrew Ellis.

Reached after the meeting seeking elaboration, Ellis said he is leaving the board "due to personal circumstances requiring me to relocate out of state." He added, "Had this not been the case, I had no plans to leave my (zoning board) position."

Three for three
The council, after some in-depth and convivial conversation between the parties, approved the appointment of Lanasia Fuller-Bey to not one, but three available positions on town boards: juvenile hearing, recreation and the Rhode Island 250th Commission.

A relatively recent transplant to Warren from New York City, Fuller, a mother of four and who worked in the corporate world before moving to town, said she was eager to engage with others in the community and would gladly give of her time to serve on each.