Coleman resigns as DPW Commissioner

Written by Greg Maker

Thursday, 29 July 2010 16:50

Takes job in hometown of Cortlandt

After nine-and-a-half years working for the City of New Rochelle, Department of Public Works (DPW) Commissioner Jeff Coleman has resigned. Coleman will now be working in his hometown of Cortlandt where he will take over as director of the Department of Environmental Services.

“It is going to take a little while to adjust to the new position but it is similar to what I do now in New Rochelle,” Coleman said. “I don’t see much of a dramatic change. I will probably have a little bit more interaction with individual projects but I have to get used to the operation of a town opposed to the operation of a city.”

Coleman stated that he has been “very fortunate” to work with other managers in the city who have a wide breadth of experience. He added that they complemented his skills which in turn helped him a great deal.

“I was fortunate to work with a good number of people who were willing to learn new roles and responsibilities throughout my career here,” Coleman said.

According to Cortlandt Supervisor Linda Puglisi (D), Coleman was chosen out of 80 applicants for the job. Puglisi noted that the town government wanted someone with an engineering background, which Coleman fit.

“Jeff was the best person for the job,” Puglisi said. “He fit the specifications of what we were looking for. We are delighted that he accepted the position.”

Cortlandt’s gain is New Rochelle’s loss. City Manager Chuck Strome stated that he will miss Coleman’s leadership in the DPW and wishes him the best in his new position.

“As commissioner, Jeff has been able to maintain and improve our public works services while being provided with continuing reduced resources,” Strome said.

Coleman, 39, was first hired by the city in 2001 as the manager of Traffic Engineering. Having graduating from Clemson University in 1993 with a degree in civil engineering, Coleman worked for the private company TRC Engineers, Inc. in Hawthorne for seven years before accepting a governmental position in New Rochelle. He initially wanted to head down the career path of engineering and construction in the private sector, but felt welcomed by New Rochelle.

“My job with TRC Engineers provided me with important technical knowledge,” Coleman said. “For a young traffic engineer, New Rochelle was a fantastic city to work in. There is a lot going on here with a good mix of commercial, residential and suburban areas.”

One of Coleman’s most notable accomplishments came in 2002 during a project on North Avenue, which laid the groundwork for 18 traffic signals in a centralized system.

“We had largely federal money and did not have to use a lot of city funds,” Coleman explained. “We were able to keep on track and able to save some cash in the process.”

Coleman was promoted to his current position in 2005. He feels grateful that he was able to weigh in and see the city grow from a DPW standpoint.

“The most fun part of this job was interacting directly with the public to solve problems,” Coleman said. “It included everything from issues of recycling and garbage to pothole repairs and traffic service.”

There is currently no one in line to be hired as the new DPW commissioner. The city is taking job applications.

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