ROYALSTON — Jaret Thiem has just completed his first week on the job as Royalston’s new Director of Public Works. Thiem was appointed by the town’s Selectboard to replace Keith Newton, who retired from the post Sept. 1 after 12 years at the helm and 37 years with the department.
The board announced Thiem’s appointment on Oct. 1 with a statement that said, “Jaret brings to this position an impressive record … His clear understanding of how to motivate workers and to achieve successful outcomes in the workplace was evident both during his interviews and in conversations with his coworkers and supervisors. He brings with him important skills and certifications and is eager to gain additional training that will support his success in his new role.”
“I started here after high school,” Thiem said in an interview. “I worked a little over three years before I left, so I had a little knowledge of what goes on around here. I left and became a manager at Pete’s Tire Barn and managed one of the stores for seven years.
“But I wanted to come back. I’ve been plowing for 11 years here, between part-time and full-time. I started in high school, then was here full-time and then did some plowing after I left. So, I’ve been around here for quite a while.”
In addition to his work with Royalston’s DPW, Thiem has been a member of the Fire Department for 12 years, having recently been promoted to the rank of lieutenant. His first official day as DPW director was Oct. 17.
In announcing Thiem’s appointment, the board also thanked Robin Mowry for his work as interim DPW supervisor.
“Robin has kept the department running smoothly during this transition and we are grateful,” said board chairman Den D’Amico.
Mowry and Matthew Bardsley, both of Royalston, were among the three finalists for the director’s position.
Asked what motivated him to apply for his new job, Thiem said, “I always thought it was a cool job. My uncle works for the highway department in Athol. He lived right next door, so I got to see all of the cool stuff he got to do. So, I got in on it as soon as I could.
“I was on the Fire Department here and got to know Keith that way. Then I started plowing, and after a year of plowing I graduated and then started here full-time.”
He said public service is important to him and his family.
“I have two brothers,” he said. “One of them, Jeff, is in the Fire Department in Athol, and another, Jameson, was in the Fire Department and was a police officer in town. The brother who still works with me in the Fire Department in Royalston, he actually works full-time for the DPW in Athol.”
Despite being just 30 years old, Thiem said he’s not intimidated by his new responsibilities.
“When I started the job at Pete’s, that grew tremendously,” he said. “It was a small department that ended up being one of the largest in the company. We serviced all of New England. Every UPS truck that you see in New England, every Penske truck, state of Connecticut DOT, we put tires on every one of those in all of New England.”
Thiem added that the desire to do more work outdoors, coupled with supply chain issues and a lack of qualified workers prompted him in part to apply for the DPW job.
“This job opened up,” he continued. “I was always interest in it, so I figured I give it a shot.”
Thiem said his immediate priorities include the completion of repairs to Brown Road, part of which was washed out in heavy rains in July 2021, as well as affecting repairs to Warwick and Butterfield roads, both of which were damaged during those same storms.
“As for now,” he said, “the prime focus for me is just getting ready for winter right now. Those other projects are important, but we need to get our fleet ready, and we need to get the manpower in line to get the snowplowing and sanding done.
“There’s a lot of stuff getting thrown at me right now and I’m trying to get up to speed as quickly as I can. Right now, being two guys short-staffed, it’s a lot. I want to start focusing on being proactive rather being reactive, and to do that you need a full crew.”
Thiem concluded by noting his young age won’t be an impediment to doing his job.
“When I was at Pete’s,” he said, “most of the people I managed were older than me. So, I don’t view it as an issue. Obviously, some people might, but I don’t let that bother me.”
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.