By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — The new town manager in Naples was not searching for employment, he was researching the neighboring communities after buying a home in Bridgton.

In fact, the retirement days of Jason Rogers were going to include volunteering somewhere in the local area. His goal, he said, was to find a way to contributing to his new community. That is why he was on the Internet and why he ran across the job listing.

“When my wife and I decided to retire, Maine was clear choice. I wanted to be involved in the community. My wife and I bought a house in Bridgton. I was researching the towns around there. I went to the town website. I saw there was a call for applicants for the town manager job. I thought I would take that opportunity and apply,” he said. “This opportunity became available. It seemed like an awesome opportunity to really impact the communities around me.”

After all — when the interviews were being conducted this summer — Capt. Jason Rogers was looking forward to retiring from 32 years with the U.S. Navy so he would have some time on his hands. 

His retirement did happen on Sept. 29, he said. But his hands weren’t idle for long.

Jason Rogers first day as Naples town manager happened on Tuesday, Oct. 10, which was the beginning of the workweek because of the federal holiday.

Rogers started off with a swearing-in ceremony in the morning. He described his first day as awesome.

“Good to meet the town hall team. Some members of the various committees stopped in. It was a great first day,” Rogers said on Wednesday. 

The start of Rogers’ employment ends a time period of about 4-1/2 months when the Town of Naples was without a full-time permanent town manager. Former Town Manager John Hawley resigned in mid-May, after giving a 60-day notice. The Maine Municipal Association (MMA) which was contracted by the Naples Board of Selectmen, supplied an interim town manager on a part-time basis. MMA assisted with the hiring, receiving 16 resume packets and narrowing that down to six candidates. Three people were interviewed a second time. In late August, Naples Chairman Ted Shane publicly announced that Rogers had been selected.

With 32 years in the United States Navy under his belt, Rogers has served on 10 subsurface ships, including the USS Blue Ridge, the USS Essex and the USS Nimitz. Some of his assignments include supporting counter narcotic efforts in the Caribbean during the late 1990s; and after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, being deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His most recent deployment was 7 months long.

Although he has earned degrees often sought by people going into managerial job, becoming a town manager was not part of a long-range goal, he said. He has earned a Bachelor’s in Business Management, a Master’s in Business Administration and a certificate in Human System Integration (HIS).

“A big part of my job in the Navy is managing people and programs. The degrees supported that,” he said.

Which skills from his military career are likely to prove useful in his managerial job?

“Communication, interpersonal skills, critical thinking — any of those easily translate into a town manager job,” Rogers answered.

What qualities or skill sets does he bring to the table that did not come from military experience?

“My entire adult life has been military. I played rugby for many years. I am a big team player. I see the value in a team,” he said. 

Rogers hopes to have some longevity. For now, the employment contract is for three years.

“Any town would prefer stability so long as the relationships are good. If everything works out, I’ll be here for a while,” he said.

Rogers was raised in Gardner, Mass., where he also graduated from high school. Shortly after graduating, his naval service kicked off Aug. 11, 1991, starting with boot camp at Recruit Training Center Orlando, Fla., and then intelligence specialist (IS) training at the Naval Marine Corps Intelligence Training Command in Damneck, Va.

Like many people from neighboring states, Rogers has spent time in Maine while he was growing up therefore he has a connection to the state.

“My mom used to bring my sister and I here in the summer, to vacation on York beach,” he said.