Brookline Hires First Director For Sustainability Planning

BROOKLINE, MA – The town's first director for sustainability planning will start the job next month.

“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 Mel Kleckner said. “This role is one way we are working toward that mission."

Tom Barrasso, of Amesbury, will start in his new role in the planning department on May 3.

Barrasso is set to help Brookline develop a strategic plan to help further the town's sustainability goals and explore different grant opportunities to support 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,” Planning Director Allison Steinfeld said.

He comes to town with a breadth of experience. Barrasso worked as Amesbury’s first Director of Energy and Environmental Affairs from 2015 to 2020, when that city cut his $82,000 salary from its 2021 budget.

During his tenure there, he created a department to manage energy efficiency and renewable infrastructure, environmental compliance and natural resources.

Barrasso got his bachelor’s degree in geology with a minor in chemistry from Salem State College. He's worked in private sector environmental and management consulting firms as well as government roles. He 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, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“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 in a statement.

Kleckner and Steinfield said Barrasso underwent a series of rigorous interviews by staff, local officials and sustainability leaders.

Barrasso told the Newburyport News his position in Amesbury almost paid for itself, adding he made the town about $800,000 during the five years he was employed, through various initiatives and savings under his watch - such as converting streetlight bulbs to LEDs.

In March 2019, Brookline hired Zoe Lynn as the town's first sustainability program administrator. She was tasked with heading up the Sustainability and Climate Action Summit and helping to implement the 2018 Climate Action Committee’s updated Climate Action Plan. She left the job at the end of that year. Lynn is now running for Select Board.