NORTHAMPTON — Days after Northampton named him the city’s new DPW director, Richard Parasiliti told Reminder Publishing in an interview that he looks forward to leading and supporting his staff as best he can.
“My personal and professional ties to the city, the department, and the residents we serve run deep. I look forward to working with Public Works staff, the administration, city councilors and residents to help keep Northampton full of vitality and a vibrant place to live,” he said.
Appointed by Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra in August, the 37-year city employee most recently served as the DPW highway superintendent in Northampton before taking on this new role.
“Rich brings unparalleled knowledge about Northampton and Public Works, but what impressed me most was his vision for the next chapter of the DPW,” said Sciarra. “Over 37 years, he has brought sound judgment and creative problem-solving to the department’s work. He embraced sustainable management of our public spaces and led Northampton’s effort to restore and protect our urban forest. With his passion for sustainability and extensive expertise, I am confident that Rich is the right choice to build on the strong foundation of the last decade and lead Public Works forward.”
The DPW is one of Northampton’s largest and most essential departments, with nearly 100 employees responsible for the city’s roads, sidewalks, parks, athletic fields, cemeteries, drinking water, sewer and wastewater systems, flood-control infrastructure, public shade trees and fleet operations. Parasiliti told Reminder Publishing that he is honored and humbled to have earned the role and is looking forward to adjusting and learning more about the position.
“Like anyone who takes a new position, even though I’ve been here for many years and I’ve held multiple roles here, this is a completely different role than anything I’ve held, so my focus is getting to know the position, getting to know how the department in this position interacts with other municipal departments,” Parasiliti said.
Parasiliti began his career with the city in 1989 as grounds manager for the Recreation Commission. He joined the DPW the following year and has since held leadership positions across the department, including general foreman, highway superintendent, superintendent of Forestry, Parks and Cemeteries and tree warden. He also returned to the highway superintendent position in April of this year.
According to the city, Parasiliti has helped shape Northampton’s approach to public spaces and environmental stewardship, spearheading the creation of the Forestry, Parks and Cemeteries Division in 2018, and bringing multiple staff from multiple divisions into a unified operation. He oversaw the city’s transition to organic management of municipal parks and playing fields and, as tree warden and chair of the Urban Forest Commission, has aided the city’s efforts to restore and expand its urban forest.
Parasiliti also brings extensive experience managing multimillion-dollar operating and capital budgets, supervising staff and contractors, and coordinating the city’s response to major storms and other emergencies, the city said. He said a focus of his is supporting the department’s staff while identifying areas where they can increase staffing levels.
“Many municipalities in Massachusetts are struggling with retaining and attracting FTEs [full-time equivalent positions]. I think it’s a common thing in the workforce in general today, but it seems to be a problem that I’m aware of at least at the public works level,” said Parasiliti. “It’s about really retaining all the staff that we personally have and working with them to make sure they are getting the support they need in order to provide services to the residents.”
The new DPW director holds an associate degree in plant and soil sciences, an undergraduate certificate in arboriculture and urban forestry and a Supervisory Leadership Certificate, all from the University of Massachusetts. He is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist and a state-qualified tree warden.
In 2019, Parasiliti received the 18th annual Seth H. Swift Tree Warden of the Year award from the Massachusetts Tree Wardens’ and Foresters’ Association. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, hiking and boating on New England’s waterways, and sharing his knowledge of tree planting and care with others.
As he transitions into the new leadership role, Parasiliti said that even with his familiarity with the department, he hopes to learn more about the DPW and the best ways to support his staff in providing the necessary services to the public.
“I have really thoroughly enjoyed working for the city all these years. There are things that I have learned in the past that I will carry into the future, but I think what I can say is that going forward from this point is very important because it’s unlike any role I’ve had before,” Parasiliti said. “I’m looking forward to growing into this role. It’s kind of funny to me saying growing into something because I’ve been here for so long, but it has its own challenges like any new job. I’m just proud to be a leader of a great group of employees that I look forward to working with closely. Even though I’ve been here for a long period of time, there’s always more to learn, and that’s the exciting part for me. I just love to learn new things, and I’m a great listener, and I look forward to working with everyone.”
