In the public eye: McConkey settles into new role serving Town of Raymond

Melissa McConkey is serving as the 
Town Administrator and Communications 
Director for the Town of Raymond. She 
started working for the town in November.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Editor’s note: This is another in an ongoing series of Windham and Raymond town employee profiles.

By Ed Pierce

Melissa McConkey may be new to working for the Town of Raymond, but she’s already become an indispensable part of the team there serving the public.

McConkey joined Raymond in November 2021 as Town Administrator and Communications Director and while learning what’s required in her new duties, she’s a longtime resident who appreciates living locally.

“I have been a Raymond resident for over a decade and because I commuted to my prior job I was disconnected from the town,” McConkey said. “I have really enjoyed getting to learn about how our town runs and meeting the citizens of Raymond.  It’s a nice change of pace to feel connected to the town I call home.”

Although the town offices of Raymond itself are small, McConkey’s role there is vast.

“I have a variety of duties and responsibilities. My priority is the Assessing Administrator,” she said. “Our Assessing Agent is only here one day a week, so I handle all the administrative work such as incoming phone calls, entering tax and deed transfers and handling paperwork for Personal Property taxes and Tax Exemptions.”

She also provides administrative support to the Raymond Town Manager, Don Willard, and the Raymond Public Works Director, Nathan White, as needed.  

And if that wasn’t enough, McConkey also serves as the town’s Communications Director, providing the content for the monthly Roadrunner edition in The Windham Eagle and operating Raymond’s social media posts and town website page.

Born in Central Maine, McConkey and grew up and went to school in Gardiner.

“My husband is from the Lakes Region area and when we were in the process of searching for our home we wanted to be in ‘Greater Portland’ and we both really liked the feel of the Windham/Raymond community,” she said.

After enjoying a long successful career with her previous employer, McConkey was laid off in June 2021 and found herself looking for a new role in which she could contribute.

“I spent last summer decompressing and thinking about what my priorities were and what I wanted to do next. I knew that I wanted to be closer to home and work in a much smaller atmosphere,” McConkey said. “I had just started getting deep into my job search when I came across the opening at the Raymond Town Office. It felt like this job had been posted for me. I felt connected and confident through the interview process and knew that this was the new start I wanted to make.”

Stepping into the job meant a significant challenge for her in trying to become versed in the various rules and regulations that pertain to town government.    

“There are so many laws and ordinances to learn that are all new to me,” she said. “It can feel overwhelming in the beginning wondering how you will remember everything but the support from my co-workers and their willingness to help me learn has been invaluable.”

She says that her family approves of her new job and has encouraged her success working for the town.  

“My family is proud that I had the courage and confidence to go in a completely new career direction,” McConkey said. “They also enjoy that I have a lot more time at home.”

Having to quickly adapt and learn all of the intricacies of her new position wasn’t easy but McConkey has forged ahead and said her most memorable moment working for Raymond was rather simple.

“The first time I was able to answer a question without needing support,” she said. “It may sound small, but it’s a great feeling when you start to feel confident at a new job.” 

She credits her own family for setting strong examples for her to follow in her work.

“My mom and my grandmother are the two hardest working women I know and are my biggest role models,” McConkey said. “I get my strong work ethic from the two of them.

Among things she’s learned so far working for the town, McConkey said the public may not be aware that the Tax Assessor does not set the tax rate, assessors only establish a property’s market value.

McConkey said her goals working for the Town of Raymond right now is to absorb as much knowledge as she can and then figure out her eventual career path.

“I still have so much to learn but I am looking forward to figuring out what comes next for me,” she said. <