Last week, the Hideout Town Council voted to appoint Ralph Severini to serve as Mayor of Hideout for the remainder of former Mayor Phil Rubin’s term, who resigned from his position in April to focus on his health. Prior to being appointed Mayor, Severini has served as a member of the Hideout Town Council for the past 5 years.

Severini brings more than 30 years of experience as a multifaceted technology and business leader. He is currently an advisor and strategist for the world-renowned Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) insurance alliances and business development organization. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to business execution, strategic planning, product development, marketing, and alliance management at several publicly traded companies. Severini has served as Vice President for four technology firms, primarily focused on financial services. He holds both a Master of Science (MS) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA), and has earned industry diplomas as a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and an Associate in Risk Management (ARM).

He also served as an examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program for the State of New Jersey, reviewing performance excellence applications with a focus on quality, customer satisfaction, and operational data analysis.

In addition to his professional career, Severini has been deeply engaged in public service and civic leadership. In addition to his service on the Hideout Town Council, he has held previous appointments on two municipal Planning Board Commissions—one as vice-chairman where he authored a town’s Master Plan—as well as a Harbor Redevelopment Commission. Severini has also contributed to two international educational foundations, raising millions of dollars for education abroad.

As the interim mayor through the end of 2025, Severini intends to prioritize promoting greater transparency, having Hideout designated a Firewise community site by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and building bridges to the surrounding communities and stakeholders. Mayor Severini will continue to work on the Richardson Flat project and the Ross Creek project with the help of the Economic Development Committee (EDC) and Planning Commission, stimulating the economy and community interaction. 

The Town Council will vote on Mayor Severini’s interim replacement on the Town Council at their regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, June 12, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. Each candidate will be interviewed by the Town Council during this public meeting. Those interested in being considered for this appointment must submit their name to the Hideout Recorder, Alicia Fairbourne via email at afairbourne@hideoututah.gov. The deadline to submit names for consideration is Monday, June 9, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. All prospective candidates will be required to complete a conflict of interest and campaign financial disclosure form before the deadline. Candidates must be a primary resident of Hideout for a minimum of 12 consecutive months prior to being appointed. Please contact Alicia Fairbourne at 435-640-21888 or afairbourne@hideoututah.gov for any questions or further details.