RUMFORD – The River Valley Growth Council on Thursday appointed a familiar face as its new executive director: former Mexico Town Manager Joseph Derouche.

The board voted 15-4 to hire its longtime president as a successor to Scott Christiansen, who is heading the council’s spin-off project, the Fractionation Development Center.

Derouche, who resigned as town manager Dec. 31 due to multiple sclerosis, a chronic debilitating illness, has headed the council for at least 10 years and is largely responsible for getting one of the state’s seven applied technology centers located in the River Valley.

He is slated to begin the full-time job Feb. 1 with a prorated annual salary of $40,000 through June 30, when the council will review his job performance.

His annual salary as town manager was $52,000 until last April, when it was reduced to $43,000 because his declining health forced him to cut his work hours, which have been dropping the past couple of years.

An attempt to reach Derouche for a comment Thursday night was unsuccessful.

Several contingencies surround his appointment.

An Executive Committee of the council made up of the board’s officers and representatives from the three major towns, Rumford, Dixfield and Mexico, will maintain regular contact to promote improved communication between the board and the executive director. Also, health care benefits will be negotiated at the time of his contract renewal. As part of Derouche’s departure as Mexico’s town manager, the town agreed to pay health insurance premiums through June 30. Derouche must also step down as president of the council.

Vice President Dick Lovejoy said the board will likely decide at next month’s meeting whether to elect a new president, or wait until the regular elections in the fall.

Seth Carey, a Rumford representative, made the motion to appoint Derouche as recommended by the Personnel Committee. David Errington of Mexico, who is assistant to the Mexico town manager and worked under Derouche, seconded the motion.

Voting against Derouche’s appointment were Rumford representatives Lovejoy, Town Manager Steve Eldridge, Selectman Jim Rinaldo, and Dixfield representative Bettina Martin.

Voting for his appointment were Rumford representatives Carey, Matt Kaubris and Greg Buccina, Mexico representatives Errington, Ernie Robichaud, Marlene Gile and Diane Perry, Dixfield representatives Richard Pierce, Bill deVries, Norine Clarke and Tony Carter, Canton representatives Diane Ray and Norris Conant, Craig Zurhorst of Andover and Bill Hine of Peru.

Eldridge said he had concerns about fiscal responsibility, but didn’t want to elaborate.

Derouche announced his resignation Oct. 13, days after a preliminary town audit for fiscal year 2003-2004 showed all the town’s surplus money – about $300,000 – had been spent. Derouche said in December that he is confident that once the final audit report is released, the figure will be much lower.

Martin, Rinaldo and Lovejoy declined to identify specific reasons for their votes.

Ray, however, said that Derouche “has demonstrated tremendous skills in recruiting business and navigating the halls of government for political and financial support. Those are two key skills the growth council needs right away.”

She added, “He’ll hit the ground running and the Executive Committee will provide the support to ensure that.”

The council received 17 applications for the position, interviewed three candidates, then decided on two finalists.

“It was a very tough decision by the Personnel Committee,” Ray said.

Lovejoy said hiring a new executive director will likely change the recent direction of the growth council to one of short-term immediate growth. Christiansen has devoted much of his time in the past year or so to long-term development by working on biorefinery and fractionation projects.

“We need to look ahead, not back. We have a new start, with two new town managers, and we must use our energies to look ahead,” said Lovejoy.

Eldridge began his duties in Rumford about two weeks ago, and Mexico expects to hire a new town manager within the next few weeks.