Home News Environment Town Of Brookline Hires Thomas Barrasso As Director For Sustainability Planning

Town Of Brookline Hires Thomas Barrasso As Director For Sustainability Planning

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Town Administrator Mel Kleckner and Planning Director Alison Steinfeld are pleased to announce that Thomas Barrasso has been hired as the first Director for Sustainability Planning for the Town’s Planning Department.

Barrasso will start in his new role on Monday, May 03, 2021. In this role, he will help with several sustainability projects in town, including developing a strategic plan to help further the Town’s sustainability goals and exploring different grant opportunities to support these municipal projects and initiatives.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tom to the Town of Brookline and look forward to the contributions he will make toward addressing climate change,” Director Steinfeld said. “Tom comes to us with a breadth of experience and we wish him all the best as he starts in this new role.”

Prior to joining the Brookline Planning Department, Barrasso worked as the City of Amesbury’s first Director of Energy and Environmental Affairs from 2015 to 2020, where he created a new department to manage energy efficiency and renewable infrastructure, environmental compliance and natural resources. He has also worked for the City of Boston as a Senior Project Manager in the Environmental Program from 2006 to 2010, the Massachusetts Highway Department as Assistant to the Deputy Director of Environmental Management from 1998 to 1999 and the Hazardous Materials Coordinator from 1996 to 1998, the U.S. Department of Commerce as a Supervisory Geographic Specialist from 1986 to 1988, and several nationally renowned environmental and management consulting firms. In these roles, he has shown a proven ability to build relationships and secure and administer grants, as well as a genuine dedication to address climate change.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in geology with a minor in chemistry from Salem State College.

“Within my experience, I have worked on very similar projects to those Brookline seeks to engage, but each community is unique, and I look forward to meeting with everyone to gain a better understanding of how we will formulate and accomplish our plan for the future,” Barrasso said

Given the importance of being able to work effectively with local officials, municipal staff and the public, the new Director underwent a series of rigorous interviews by staff, local officials and sustainability leaders.

“As a community, we remain committed to adopting as many sustainable practices, policies and projects as possible in order to protect our environment and maintain and improve the quality of life for our residents,” Town Administrator Kleckner said. “This role is one way we are working toward that mission and we are excited to see how Tom will advance the Town’s commitment to addressing climate change.”