City Manager Thomas A. Golden, Jr., Announces Appointment of HR Director

LOWELL, Mass., January 22, 2024 — City Manager Thomas A. Golden, Jr., has announced the hiring of Neil Osborne, Esq., as the new Human Relations (HR) Director at Lowell City Hall. Mr. Osborne will replace Mary Callery, who recently retired after 38 years of service to the City of Lowell, having served as the City’s HR Director since 2012.

A search committee was put in place by City Manager Golden to facilitate the process to fill this key position in the City Manager’s leadership team. The City received 11 applications for the job posting for the Director position, and the pool of candidates was narrowed to four. The strongest four candidates were interviewed by the committee and forwarded to the City Manager along with a recommendation.

Mr. Osborne is an attorney, former HR Director for the City of Medford, and also served as the City of Medford’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion. Mr. Osborne is a licensed attorney in the state of Massachusetts and federal court, and ran a private practice for 10 years prior to overseeing HR for the City of Medford. He holds a Master of Science (MS) degree from UMass Amherst, and a Juris Doctor (JD) from Suffolk University Law School.

“I want to extend my thanks and congratulations to Ms. Mary Callery on a remarkable career at City Hall,” said City Manager Golden. “I am excited to announce the appointment of Neil Osborne, who will bring experienced leadership to the City’s HR Office, and I am likewise excited to see the new initiatives that Mr. Osborne will bring to the City. I firmly believe that his combination of skills, and knowledge of the law, HR practices, and commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion will be integral to building the City workforce of the future.”

The City of Lowell’s HR Office includes 6.5 full time equivalent (FTE) positions as of the FY2024 budget, and the HR Director serves as the department head. The Office handles all personnel matters for City departments and administers the City’s health and dental insurance programs for all City and school department active and retired employees through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC). The FY2024 budget for the HR Office is $927,556.