East Lyme ― Finance director Kevin Gervais will be returning to the western part of the state after a one-year layover in town.

Gervais worked as the deputy controller for the town of Brookfield when he came to East Lyme last Aug. 29. He’ll leave his post on Sept. 1 to go back as the director of business and operations for the Brookfield Board of Education.

He was hired here when former finance director Anna Johnson retired.

Gervais in a Friday email said he is getting married in November. The move will put the couple closer to his fiancee’s parents, whom he described as “future free babysitters.”

He said he wasn’t looking for a new position, but was encouraged by former colleagues to apply when the Brookfield position opened up.

First Selectman Kevin Seery said Friday that Gervais’ “impact will be felt for a long time.”

Seery described it as an understatement to say Gervais has done an outstanding job. He credited him with earning the town hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest income by securing better rates.

The 2022-23 budget projected $20,000 in revenue from interest income. Gervais said he and town treasurer Scott Fraser have brought in $492,397 to date by continuously evaluating the interest rates offered at banks in the area.

Seery said Gervais did the catch-up work necessary to complete the 2021 financial audit in the town which has a history of delinquent filings. It was finally submitted about six weeks ago.

Seery said a new deputy finance director position will be filled on May 15 after Gervais followed through with recommendations from auditors going back years to hire a second-in-command for the understaffed department. Gervais advocated for funding in the proposed 2023-24 budget for the new position and found savings in the current budget to have that person start before the new budget takes effect on July 1, according to the first selectman.

Gervais said he’s worked with Seery to develop a succession plan for a smooth transition.

“Also, I am here for four more months and expect to work tirelessly to leave the finance office in East Lyme in a position to succeed,” he said.

e.regan@theday.com