BROOKLINE– Town Administrator Mel Kleckner is pleased to announce that the Town of Brookline has appointed Erin Chute Gallentine as its new Commissioner of Public Works, making her the first woman to oversee the department in its history.
The Select Board approved Gallentine’s appointment as the Town’s new Commissioner of Public Works at its Friday, Sept. 4 meeting. She began her new role on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
Gallentine has served as the Director of the Parks and Open Space Division of the Brookline DPW for approximately 20 years, and began her time in Brookline as the Conservation Administrator in 1998.
Gallentine replaces former Commissioner of Public Works Andy Pappastergion. He worked for the Town of Brookline’s DPW for over 50 years, serving as Commissioner for the last decade of his career. Pappastergion was instrumental in guiding the Brookline DPW to become one of the first to receive national accreditation from the American Public Works Association. He also represented the Town by serving on the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s Board of Directors.
“This is a rare opportunity for the town to both celebrate and reflect on the tremendous impact Andy had on the DPW during his tenure while looking ahead to the work Erin will do as his successor,” Town Administrator Kleckner said. “Erin has served the Town of Brookline tremendously well, and has overseen the successful completion of countless, large scale projects from start to finish over the course of her career. We’re confident she’s the right person to build on the work Andy’s done over the last 10 years.”
As the Director of the Town’s Parks and Open Space Division, Gallentine directed the division in managing all phases of design, development, maintenance and management of over 500 acres of public parks, playgrounds, town/school grounds, park/street trees, athletic fields, cemeteries, nature sanctuaries and open spaces. She oversaw professional development, performance and staffing of more than 52 employees, oversaw emergency response efforts for situations including snow and ice control and emergency planning, prepared the division budget, and oversaw the budgeting and completion of more than $30 million in construction projects, among other duties.
“Public Works creates stronger, healthier, more resilient, and more connected communities. We provide foundational support for the community’s daily activities and have the ability to effect meaningful change,” Gallentine said. “Building the next generation of success for Brookline Public Works will require many of the same strategies I have used in my career and the careful alignment of department services with important municipal objectives such as diversity and inclusion, climate change and preparedness, community engagement, emergency response, regulatory compliance, employee health and safety, and fiscal responsibility.”
Prior to working in Brookline she served as an environmental management consultant at EnviroBusiness, Inc. She holds a master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Tufts University’s College of Engineering and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Spanish from Boston College.
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