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Date: 1/31/2023
HOLYOKE – The city’s first DPW director has been hired as Carl Rossi of Clifton, NJ, was appointed to the new position earlier this month by Mayor Joshua Garcia and the Board of Public Works.
Rossi, 53, is a native of Clifton. He graduated from Rutgers University with a master’s degree in business administration with concentrations in finance and organizational management. Rossi has previously been employed as director of Public Works in two different New Jersey communities as well as most recently serving as director of operations for the Sportfriends Soccer Club in Wayne, NJ.
The job title DPW director is a new one, according to Board of Public Works Chair Mary Monahan. Previously the head of that city department was a superintendent. Monahan said the title of director better describes the scope of Rossi’s responsibilities, which include business, finance, human resources, budgeting and administration.
Rossi told Reminder Publishing that city leaders made the decision to move to Holyoke easy once he was able to make the trip up and start the interview process.
“The mayor [Joshua Garcia], Mary Monahan, the way they basically treated me from the first interview, they were great,” Rossi said. “They took me on a tour of the city, showed me some buildings and areas around Holyoke. It was a welcoming atmosphere…I was just impressed with everybody and how welcoming they were and how they treated us.”
Rossi added the city shares similarities to the municipalities he has worked on in the past in New Jersey. Rossi called Garcia “dynamic” and said they both know the importance of having a strong DPW for the city.
“Director Rossi is an experienced public works professional skilled in engineering, operations, finance, personnel management and communications,” said Monahan. “Under the leadership of Director Rossi, Public Works will prioritize controlling costs, protecting public health and safety, improving quality of life, supporting economic growth and making Holyoke a great place to work and live.”
Monahan noted in a release on the hiring of Rossi that attracting candidates for municipal professional positions is challenging in the current labor market. She added that the city needed to attract more candidates including adjusting salary and benefits to be more competitive.
“This was a team effort among the Mayor’s Office, City Council, Board of Public Works and more. We were confident that, if given enough time and the right message, that there was an experienced public works professional who saw the same opportunities in Holyoke as we do,” said Monahan. “We’re confident that we found that team player in Carl Rossi.”
Rossi said one factor that made taking the job so appealing to him was “the direction the mayor wants to bring the city to.” He again noted Garcia was a “dynamic” leader and his vision was one Rossi could easily get behind.
“It seems like he wants to do the right thing by the people of Holyoke, and he trusts that the department heads will do the same thing,” Rossi said.
For starters, Rossi said he will be using his first days in office getting to know other city officials and workers and learning what concerns are before starting to address them. He also said it was important to find and retain a staff to fill the department’s needs. He also noted that while Holyoke faces challenges of their own, every community has their own list of challenges.
Rossi also noted he and Garcia share the same sentiment that the DPW has to be prominent in the city.
“People need to know what we are all about. He’s looking to give — and so am I — the services the constituents of Holyoke deserve,” Rossi said.
Some challenges identified by the city in their release of this announcement were: economic growth that underscores the need for the city to have adequate infrastructure to support business expansion, environmental permits and regulations that mandate that the city continue efforts to protect local public health and improve water quality, planning the next steps in the long-term operations of the wastewater treatment plant and flood control facilities , attracting and retaining new workers, recycling and waste losses and the enhancing of funding for support improvements to roads, sidewalks and bridges.
“New leadership and an experienced team will help ensure that we appropriately respond to these opportunities,” Monahan said.
Garcia and the Board of Public Works expressed gratitude to the DPW staff for stepping up and ensuring the department continued to serve taxpayers and ratepayers. Amie Chrzanowski, who served as interim DPW superintendent, will resume her tole as office manager.
“The contributions of Amie and the entire public works team is something they should be proud of,” said Garcia in the release. “Holyoke’s Department of Public Works will continue to provide employees an ideal place to work and grow while attracting and maintaining new staff.”
Rossi’s first day was Jan. 18 and he has started to become familiar with the city, as he hopes to help in any way he and the DPW can.
“It’s like everything else, one step at a time,” Rossi said. “Have to see what the department needs, but let’s provide services for the residents, strengthen our DPW and improve any inefficiencies that we can.”