•2019-2020 BLP Steering Committee Vice-Chair
•Commissioner of Public Works, City of Pittsfield
1. What do you think makes a good leader?
A good leader sets the vision for goals and provides an environment in which their team can be successful at achieving them. A good leader never stops learning from people around them.
2. How did BLP enhance your leadership abilities?
With the program, I learned that we are all working towards similar goals and we all share our strengths and weaknesses in the process. The program exposed me to great leaders from all over the Berkshires and together we identified our strengths and how to make them work to our advantage as well as our weaknesses and how to balance them with the strengths in others.
Also… I made some very good friends in the process!
3. What’s one project or initiative that you’re currently spearheading?
My department will be starting several projects focused on providing a safer interaction between motorists and non-motorists within the city’s streets. We are providing new intersection improvements by installing dedicated signals to provide a safer crossing for kids going to the playground at Springside Park and for students crossing Elm Street by East Street. We are also re-distributing the line painting along Wahconah St to provide bike lanes and designate on-street parking spots. Just as important, we are improving accessibility for a number of intersections throughout the city. These projects represent a fraction of the over 30 projects we have targeted through our Complete Streets Plan to have them implemented within the next five years.