Field said he will run for the position in the March 26 town election.
LUDLOW – The Board of Selectmen Tuesday night interviewed two applicants for a vacancy on the Board of Health and appointed Victor Field to the position.
Victor FieldField will serve until the March 26 town election when a new member will be elected to the position.
Interviewed for the position were Field and Timothy Fontaine.
Field has served in town government positions for 15 years. He served on the Planning Board, the Personnel Board and the Board of Health for six years, until he was defeated three years ago by Neil Paquette.
Field also has had a career in health care management.
He served as administrator of the former Ludlow Hospital, was an administrator of nursing homes in Northampton and Great Barrington, was an administrator of a nursing home in Florida and in 1999 opened Keystone Commons in Ludlow, an assisted living center.
Fontaine has worked as a health inspector for the town for six years. He said he has worked in commercial kitchens and does inspections of commercial kitchens for the town.
Both Field and Fontaine said they plan to run for the position in the March 26 town election.
“We are forced to choose between two good candidates,” Selectman William Rooney said. “I favor Mr. Field.”
He said he is impressed that Field was defeated for the position three years ago, but is again seeking the position. “I think that says a lot about the character of Mr. Field,” Rooney said.
Other selectmen said Field has very diverse experience as a health care administrator and is a good candidate for the position.
Health board member Paquette also voted for Field for the position. He asked Field if he would be willing to help if an emergency shelter again had to be set up as it was during by the Oct. 29 snowstorm. Field said he would.
“Ultimately this will be up to the voters,” Selectman Antonio Dos Santos said. “Both applicants are qualified.”