By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(Aug. 27, 2026) After 35 years with Berlin, longtime employee and current town administrator Mary Bohlen publicly announced her retirement this week, saying goodbye to the community she’s served for over three decades.

At Monday night’s Town Council meeting, Bohlen shared remarks regarding her retirement, noting her official last day will be Oct. 9.

“It has been both a pleasure and a privilege to serve this community, and making the decision to retire has been a difficult one,” she said.

Bohlen added that she’s proud of her accomplishments during her tenure with the municipality, as well as her role in “building a strong foundation for Berlin’s future.”

Bohlen is a Salisbury resident who first came to Berlin in 1991 at just 25 years old. She began working in Town Hall’s front office answering phones and ringing up utility customers.

“It has been both a pleasure and a privilege to serve this community, and making the decision to retire has been a difficult one,” Town Administrator Mary Bohlen said at this week’s meeting.

She continued to rise through the ranks, securing various roles such as grants administrator, special projects administrator, deputy town administrator, and, since August 2022, town administrator. Bohlen succeeded former town administrator Jeff Fleetwood.

On Monday night, Bohlen said that she will “always be proud to have been a part of this community and its story.”

Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall expressed his gratitude to the outgoing administrator and her almost four decades with the town. Tyndall said Bohlen’s commitment to Berlin is evident in her work and in how she rose to become a senior municipal employee.

“When you say you’re proud to be part of its story, I think you write a portion of your story yourself starting as someone working in customer service and admin and working your way all the way up to the top paid professional in the Town of Berlin,” Tyndall said. “I remember when you and I sat down, and we had a vacancy in the town administrator position … and I said, ‘Mary, you’ve got a lot of institutional knowledge … have you ever considered it?’ … You accepted my request to serve in this capacity, and it’s been an honor to work together. You’re amazing at what you do.”

The Berlin Town Council also thanked Bohlen this week.

“Mary, I want to say thank you for your many, many years dedicated to service to the town,” Councilman Jay Knerr remarked.

While she did not offer any comments at this week’s Town Council meeting, the town’s human resources director, Kelsey Jensen, also announced her departure from the municipality earlier this month.

Kelsey confirmed in an email to the Bayside Gazette last week that her official last day will be Nov. 13.

Jensen graduated from Frostburg University in 2011 with a degree in social work. She later received a master’s degree in business from the University of Maryland University College, now known as University of Maryland Global Campus, in 2018 and initially worked as a courtroom clerk for the Circuit Court of Worcester County.

Jensen came to Berlin in 2016 for an administrative job. Later, she started training to earn certification as a municipal clerk and eventually took over as Berlin’s director of human resources.

“The employees of the town mean a great deal to me, and I will miss working with each and every one of them,” Jensen said in an email to the Bayside Gazette last week. “The kindness and appreciation they, along with many residents and business owners, have shown since I announced my resignation has been incredibly heartwarming and has reminded me that I made a meaningful difference during my time here.”