Although Jeff Chelgren hasn't officially announced that he's accepted a contract to take over as Town Administrator in Marblehead, a search to replace him is underway in Wenham.

At a meeting last week, the Wenham Board of Selectmen decided they would begin a search for Chelgren's replacement in the hopes of having an interim town administrator on board by mid-March, when he said he plans to depart.

Earlier this month, Marblehead's Board of Selectmen unanimously selected Chelgren, of Lynn, as their top candidate to take over for longtime Town Administrator Tony Sasso when he retires in the spring.

Chelgren has worked at Wenham Town Hall since June 2002, when he replaced Steve Delaney. Previous roles included serving as assistant town manager and land use director in Westford. He was a runner-up in Nahant's search for a new Town Administrator in December.

"I'm hoping this will be the last location of my career," Chelgren said during his interview earlier this month. "I'd like to settle in and really make a mark on this community. I’d like to last out my career and really close it out with a bang."

On Tuesday, the Board of Selectmen met in executive session at Abbot Hall to plan out a contract for Chelgren - he reportedly made $93,899 last year, according to Hamilton-Wenham Patch.