Major Organizational Changes Come to Westfield’s Department of Public Works

WESTFIELD, NJ — With a recently appointed new director of public works , the Town of Westfield is forging ahead with organizational changes that bring renewed focus on services for residents, strategic areas of change for the downtown and new opportunities for growth for existing Westfield employees.

Forestry, Roads, Fleet Management and Parks and Fields are now supervisor-level positions within the Department of Public works, according to Mayor Shelly Brindle’s weekly update to residents on July 5.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE FREE TAPINTO.NET NEWSLETTER

The letter also indicates that the downtown management level position is maintained. This position partners with both Downtown Westfield Corporation and has a focus on the town’s strategic plan .

"This reorganization and the decision to promote from within is vital to not only creating additional opportunities for our employees, but also to retaining the institutional knowledge that helps us resolve issues in the efficient manner that our residents, business owners and visitors deserve," said Department of Public Works Director Craig Gibson.

“The way I describe it as a ladder,” Gibson noted at the July 17 meeting of the Downtown Westfield Corporation . “We have created some significant rungs of achievement.”

Gibson, like other town administrators including Fire Chief Michael Deulks, was a long-time Westfield staff member before assuming his administrative roles. Gibson most recently held the strategic, and highly visible, role of Supervisor of Downtown Division.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE TAPINTO APP FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS. AVAILABLE IN THE APPLE STORE AND THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE .

Gibson, together with Town Administrator Jim Gildea, have both made public remarks highlighting Westfield's efforts to grow its talent from within the ranks.

“We’re creating some opportunities for people to develop,” Gibson said at the DWC meeting.

Mayor Brindle provided a high-level outline of these changes in her letter to residents:

“In an effort to improve service to our residents and create growth opportunities for our employees, the Department of Public Works has been reorganized under Director Craig Gibson and Assistant Director Rich Eubanks resulting in eight internal promotions to supervisor and newly-created foreperson positions,” the mayor wrote.

“Craig’s former position of Supervisor, Downtown Division will now be held by Tom Vreeland, and Rich’s former position of Supervisor, Parks & Fields Division will now be held by Frank Scalera. In addition, the DPW added six foreperson positions (one each in Forestry, Roads, Downtown, and Fleet Management, and two in Parks & Fields). These changes also allow us to deliver on our commitment to improve and maintain our parks and fields with a dedicated and expanded DPW division.”

The town’s website now lists the following management and administrative roles in the department:

• Craig Gibson, Director of Public Works
• Rich Eubanks, Assistant Director of Public Works
• Rob Kosciolek, Supervisor of Forestry
• Frank Scalera, Supervisor of Park and Fields
• Eugene Watkins, Supervisor of the Roads Division
• Tom Vreeland, Supervisor of Downtown Division
• Stephanie Majeski, Admin Assistant

Frank Scalera has been with the town in other capacities since 2018 and Tom Vreeland since 2016 according to Westfield Public Information Officer Kim Forde.

Positions left vacant by promoted personnel will be backfilled by outside hiring, according to Gibson.

Gibson spoke positively about the organizational changes at the DWC meeting.

“Overall, it’s a good vibe,” he said.

For more local news, visit TAPinto.net