NORWAY – The Growth Council has chosen a new president to lead it out of its public relations woes. John Shattuck, a New Gloucester man who says he left a 20-year law and business career to contribute more to his local area, will take over leadership of the organization in mid-December.

“I got to the last 20 years of my working life,” the 53-year-old former lawyer said Wednesday during a phone interview. “And I wanted to do something more focused directly on my community.”

Shattuck will replace Brett Doney, who was hired in 1994 and left in September for a job in Montana. The Growth Council is the major economic development organization for the Oxford Hills, trying to inject the region with new life after its manufacturing base disappeared.

The Shattuck announcement comes as the council tries to heal rifts with area towns. Norway officials this past year repeatedly complained that the council was not forthcoming with information and left town leaders out of important decisions. The Budget Committee in Paris last year recommended only giving the council $2,500 as its annual town meeting appropriation, despite the council’s request for $12,500.

“It is going to be hard work. I recognize there will be some fence building to do,” Shattuck said. But he said as director, he will try to better incorporate communities into the council’s mission.

“It is not for us to go out and say we’re going to develop this and that,” he said. “There needs to be a very strong collaborative partnership with the communities. My first step is to talk directly with the eight communities and see what they want and how they want to see that executed.”

The eight Oxford Hills communities are Harrison, Hebron, Norway, Oxford, Otisfield, Paris, Waterford and West Paris.

Norway Selectman Les Flanders said he has a positive outlook on the council’s new direction and its new director. Flanders sits on the council’s Board of Directors.

“He’s a very outgoing person. He’s easy to get along with. Everyone he spoke with he blended right in,” Flanders said, adding, “I hope there will be a lot more communication between the Growth Council and the towns of Oxford Hills.”

Flanders said he also hopes Shattuck will be less interested in cutting real estate deals and more interested in supporting the area’s existing businesses. He was referring to some projects like the council’s attempt to develop the former C.B. Cummings Mill, rehabilitate the Odd Fellows Hall, and to build a technology park on the hill overlooking Norway Lake. The mill and the hall were bought by private developers after the council turned away from the expensive projects.

“Certainly they will try to bring in outside business,” Flanders said. “But I don’t think they should build buildings to entice them here. Private developers do that.”

Another sore spot for some was Doney’s salary, which at $101,000 was well over the area’s average income. Flanders said he did not know Shattuck’s salary, but thought it was lower.

Growth Council Board Chairman Jim Delamater was not available for an interview Wednesday to comment.

Shattuck grew up in New Jersey, and graduated from the University of Maine in 1979. He received a law degree from George Washington University in 1982, and had a civil law practice in Portland from 1982 to 1995.

He left his law career for business in 1995 when he joined the staff of L.L. Bean. He rose to the position of manager of the Portland L.L. Bean factory store in 1999, and left three years later. From 2002 to 2005, he ran Cumberland County’s YMCA, and then left that position to direct Lake Region Development Council.

Shattuck has given notice to the town of Brunswick, where he has been working in its economic development department since summer, and will begin with the Growth Council in mid-December. Marcy Boughter of the Growth Council said a group of six directors from the council’s board reviewed about two dozen resumes, narrowing the field to six for interviews. She said Shattuck is a good communicator, and though he is laid back, he commands one’s attention.

“He’s in it for the Oxford Hills area, and trying to work with the towns,” she said. “We were originally set up to service the towns, but Brett went regional. He came from a developer background, so he seemed to be pursuing properties and real estate.”

She said Shattuck will work with the board to become more community oriented and return to the council’s roots, which is to help the towns.

“I have a high degree of confidence that local problems are solved at the local level,” Shattuck said.