NEWBURYPORT — Mayor Sean Reardon has appointed Jamie Tuccolo as Director of the Department of Public Services, effective Jan. 16.
Mayor Reardon is appointing Tuccolo for a term of three months, which will provide leadership for the department through the end of the selection process for the appointment of a permanent director. This nomination has been sent to the City Council for review at its meeting on Monday, Jan. 30.
“Jamie has done an incredible job helping us navigate the leadership transition in DPS,” said Mayor Reardon. “His strong management of people and projects, knowledge of the City’s systems, and tireless work ethic will serve him well as he continues to serve as Director on an interim basis.”
Mayor Reardon appointed Tuccolo, then Deputy Director, as Acting Director following the retirement of Director Anthony Furnari in November. The City Charter allows for a 90-day term as Acting Director, followed by two extensions, which were made on Nov. 16 and Dec. 16. These extensions expired on Jan. 16. While a Council-approved temporary appointment was not required based on the opinion of the City Solicitor, the Mayor is making this appointment to better follow the process outlined by the Charter.
The City began the search process for the next Director in August 2022. Because of the importance of this position, the Collins Center, a municipal executive search firm, was selected to lead this hiring process and assist in finding the best candidate for the position. The Collins Center began a thorough process of creating a candidate profile and reviewing the job description in preparation for an exhaustive search. At its recommendation, the position was posted in January and is currently open, with the Mayor planning to review resumes with a screening committee in the coming weeks. The Mayor aims to have this process completed by the end of February, at which point the selected candidate will be sent to the City Council for approval.
“I look forward to naming the new Director soon, and until that time, I know we are in good hands with Jamie,” said Mayor Reardon.
In the last six months, Tuccolo has overseen the installation of a new salt shed for the City, found solutions to maintain sewer service on Plum Island, made adjustments to snow and ice operations to receive better results with fewer resources, and advanced major projects including the Lower Artichoke Dam. While personnel management was a major responsibility when he served as Deputy Director, Tuccolo now oversees all day-to-day operations and financial management of the department.
