Committee advances John M. Cashel nomination for Woburn planning director

Mayor Concannon presented John M. Cashel as the city’s nominee for planning director and administrator of the Woburn Redevelopment Authority, and a committee vote sent the nomination to the full council for final confirmation.

Cashel told the committee he previously held the planning director post in Woburn in the 1980s and later served as town planner in Hudson, New Hampshire, and as Georgetown’s planner. He described long municipal tenures as a professional priority and said he was “up for it,” noting he has been reviewing Woburn’s public documents and attending recent meetings to prepare for the role.

The mayor noted the current planning director intends to retire March 15 and asked the council to act quickly so Cashel and the outgoing director can overlap for a handoff. Multiple councilors praised Cashel’s experience and record and urged sending the nomination on to the full council.

The committee carried a motion to send the appointment to the full council; the committee’s announcement was recorded as "the ayes have it." The nomination is scheduled for a council confirmation vote at the next full-council meeting (the mayor asked for a confirmation date around the 20th).