The Wareham Housing Authority has hired consulting firm Execu-Tech to handle the responsibilities of the executive director while the board looks for a new one.

Former executive director Pam Sequeira announced that she'd be retiring in June, but agreed to keep working until a new director was found. She left abruptly on July 22.

Christine Luna of Execu-Tech has been in the Authority offices two days a week at a rate of $60 per hour, according to Housing Authority Chair Robert Powilatis.

The Housing Authority and its executive director oversee the Agawam Village and Redwood Park affordable housing units in Wareham, which house elderly and disabled residents. It is overseen by the Department of Housing and Community Development. The Housing Authority board consists of four elected members and one state-appointed member. Each term is five years.

Powilatis said that Luna has extensive experience.

"She is a retired director from the Dedham Housing Authority, she retired and formed" Execu-Tech, Powilatis said. "They do other things besides this, but they have a reputation that is good. … They've done a number of these interim" situations.

With a temporary director in place, the search for a permanent one continues.

"We want to have somebody in place, ready to start, at the latest October 1, sooner if possible," Powilatis said, noting that screening and interviewing applicants will take some time.

The executive director's position is being advertised with a salary of $40,750 for a 32-hour work week.

Powilatis says the board is looking to save money wherever it can, and is hoping to find a director that canhandle responsibilities currently taken care of by a part-time accountant.

"We're paying another $12,000 a year for an accountant, so if we can save that, that'd be good," he said.

In the meantime, Powilatis says the Authority is in good hands, saying of Luna: "She knows her stuff."

The Housing Authority agreed to look for someone to serve in the interim at its April meeting, and Powilatis says that Sequeira sent out two letters and received two responses. He said that one firm was not responsive to inquiries about references, while the other was too expensive.