For Immediate Release: 9/29/2021 4:03 pm
City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. this week announced the hiring of Julie A. Lynch as the Chief of Public Facilities and the promotion of Nicole Valentine and Eric D. Batista to Assistant City Managers.
Lynch will head one of two new departments replacing the Energy and Asset Management Division (EAM). The Department of Sustainability & Resilience will include members of EAM as well as the Department of Public Works & Parks’ blue space team. The Department of Public Facilities, overseen by Lynch, will focus on the development of the expertise and efficiencies to maintain and professionally manage publicly-owned properties across the City.
Lynch has served as Capital Program Manager for the Department of Public Works’ Municipal Facilities Improvement Plan in the City of Cambridge since April 2016. Her prior experience includes nine years working in Architectural Services for the City of Worcester’s Department of Public Works and Parks, from 2006-2015. Lynch worked on the $58-million Nelson Place School project, the first building in Massachusetts to approach net zero emissions that was approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The project replaced the previous 88-year-old school with a state-of-the-art facility. She was also involved in work on the Green Hill Golf Course Clubhouse, DPW Administration Building, Worcester Police Department Latent Print Unit, as well as upgrades at 10 public schools.
Before joining the City of Cambridge, she worked as Senior Capital Project Manager in the Facilities Maintenance Department for the Town of Wellesley. She has held numerous other project manager and architectural design positions.
Lynch is a graduate of UMass-Amherst, where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree with Individual Concentration in Architectural Studies, and the State University of New York at Buffalo, where she earned her Master’s Degree in Architecture.
“I am excited to return to Worcester and lead the new Department of Public Facilities,” Lynch said. “I look forward to helping advance the mission of The Green Worcester Sustainability & Resilience Strategic Plan, and ensure the maintenance of all our public facilities.”
“I am happy to welcome Julie back to the City family,” Augustus said. “Our public buildings will benefit from the oversight of this department, and Julie’s experience will be instrumental in leading us forward.”
Batista and Valentine will both serve as Assistant City Managers, following the Oct. 1 retirement of longtime Assistant City Manager Kathleen G. Johnson.
Batista has been with the City of Worcester since September 2012, joining the City Manager’s Office as Project Manager before being named Chief of Operations and Project Management. He established the Office of Urban Innovation in July 2019, and currently serves as Director. One of Batista’s priorities was to create an environment where City leadership makes critical decisions based on data, as well as promoting a more transparent and accessible Government for its residents. This led to the creation of the Open Data Portal, Public Records Portal and the Municipal Service Center.
A close advisor to the City Manager, Batista has led or been involved in a number of other key projects and initiatives, including the City’s first Telework policy, the Myra Hyatt Kraft Elm Park Footbridge, the Worcester Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, the creation of Recreation Worcester and the City’s Municipal Strategic Plan. Batista also manages the School Safety Taskforce and Municipal Broadband Taskforce. Being one of the first Latino Executive Managers in the City, Batista was a key player establishing the City’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and is involved with diversity and equity initiatives, often times serving as a bridge between communities of color and City Hall.
He is a graduate of the New England Institute of Technology, where he earned an Associate of Science Degree in Building Architectural Engineering; UMass-Amherst, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences Degree in Economics; and Assumption College, where he earned his Master’s in Business Administration.
“I am grateful and honored to have served the City for nine years,” Batista said. “It has been a privilege, on behalf of the City Manager’s Office, to develop and implement initiatives that have fostered a greater partnership with key stakeholders and the community at large. This new role will allow me to build on that, while expanding to oversee personnel, budgeting, development and union contracts”
Valentine joined the City of Worcester as Chief of Staff for the City Manager in April 2013. She has served as Deputy Assistant City Manager since July 2019.
She developed the Quality of Life team, which has since expanded into three citywide teams; coordinated the inaugural flight of JetBlue at Worcester Regional Airport; and served as Operational Liaison to President Obama’s Advance Team for the former president’s keynote speech at the June 2014 Worcester Technical High School graduation. She also served as project manager and liaison to the Kraft family on the design, building and dedication of the Myra Hiatt Kraft Memorial Footbridge in Elm Park.
Valentine implemented and manages the City’s Public Safety Interdepartmental Task Force, and served as coordinator of the City’s Interdepartmental COVID-19 Response Team. She serves as the City Manager’s liaison to City Council members, and also served as Interim Director of Emergency Management/911 Communications.
Valentine coordinated all public relations efforts related to the opening of Polar Park, and most recently served as a project coordinator on the Worcester Fire Department Community Risk Assessment and Strategic Plan.
She earned her Associate Degree in Business Administration from Becker College, and a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education from Worcester State University.
“I have been fortunate to serve as a key member of City Manager Augustus’s team over the past eight years, and I look forward to an expanded role in providing the highest quality of municipal services, while overseeing day-to-day operations,” Valentine said. “I am grateful for this opportunity, and thank the City Manager and Assistant City Manager for serving as mentors and preparing me for this opportunity.”
“I am happy to announce Eric and Nicole as Assistant City Managers,” Augustus said. “Combined, they bring a wealth of experience and a proven track record of dedicated service to the City of Worcester. It has been a privilege to watch each of them grow and excel in their current roles, and this really is a natural progression that helps ensure continued, steady leadership within my Cabinet.”
Lynch, Batista and Valentine will start in their respective roles on Oct. 4.
