Press Release: 6/17/2026

DPW Director Donna LaScaleia to Step Down

 

City of Northampton Home PagePosted on June 16, 2026 

 

Department of Public Works Director Donna LaScaleia to Step Down After More Than a Decade of Service to Northampton

Search for New DPW Director to Begin Immediately

NORTHAMPTON – Today, Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra announced that Department of Public Works Director Donna LaScaleia will step down from her position effective August 31, 2026, after more than ten years of service to the City of Northampton.

LaScaleia joined Northampton in May 2016 and has led one of the city's largest and most essential departments through a decade of growth, investment, and modernization. Overseeing nearly 100 employees responsible for maintaining Northampton's roads, sidewalks, parks, athletic fields, cemeteries, water, sewer and wastewater systems, flood control infrastructure, public shade trees, and fleet operations, she guided the department through the COVID-19 pandemic, increasingly severe weather events, and a prolonged period of workforce shortages. Despite those challenges, LaScaleia maintained the reliable delivery of essential public services while advancing significant infrastructure, environmental, and capital improvement projects throughout the city.

"It has been my great honor to lead a department of nearly 100 men and women who demonstrate daily dedication to Northampton," said Director LaScaleia. "I offer my deep gratitude to Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra and Mayor David Narkewicz before her for their leadership, for their integrity, for their trust and confidence in me, and most especially, for their support of Public Works and our critical operations. I have proudly served Northampton for a decade, and though I am stepping down, my care and respect for this city and DPW remain steadfast. I encourage the community to support the next Director and to recognize all Public Works employees who give so much in service each day."

During her tenure, Northampton has invested heavily in public infrastructure and environmental stewardship. Under Director LaScaleia's leadership, the Department of Public Works has advanced major roadway and sidewalk improvements, strengthened drinking water and stormwater systems, expanded the city's urban forest, improved fleet and facilities management, and earned recognition for excellence in public works and environmental operations. 

Supported by her skilled DPW and utilities staff, some Public Works highlights from Director LaScaleia’s tenure include:  

• Earned recognition from the Department of Environmental Protection as one of the top-performing public water systems in the Commonwealth for 2025.


• Earned recognition from the United States Environmental Protection Agency for excellence in Northampton's Wastewater Industrial Pretreatment Program for 2025.


• Invested more than $30 million in upgrades to critical equipment and processes at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.


• Implemented a citywide organic athletic field management program that has eliminated the use of pesticides and other harsh chemicals on municipal playing fields and in parks.


• Paved and reconstructed more than 30 miles of roads and sidewalks throughout Northampton.


• Planted more than 2,400 new public shade trees and expanded Northampton's urban canopy.


• Modernized Northampton's public works fleet, replacing aging vehicles and equipment, including the divesting of assets that had been in service for more than three decades.


• Constructed a municipal fuel depot that improved fleet efficiency, reduced operating costs, and enhanced fuel-use tracking and accountability.


• Initiated critical upgrades to Northampton's stormwater and flood-control infrastructure, improving systems that protect neighborhoods, businesses, and public assets from flooding.


• Implemented data-driven capital planning systems that transparently guide annual roadway and sidewalk investments.


• Led the department through major storms, emergency response operations, and increasingly severe weather events while maintaining uninterrupted delivery of essential public services.

"Director Donna LaScaleia has spent the last decade doing one of the hardest jobs in city government exceptionally well," said Mayor Sciarra. "The work of public works touches every resident, every business, and every neighborhood, often in ways people never see. Under Director LaScaleia's leadership, residents could count on a department that showed up, solved problems, and took pride in serving the community.

As Mayor, there are a handful of people whose judgment you come to rely on completely. Donna has been one of those people for me. She approached every challenge we faced with professionalism, honesty, and a determination to get the job done right. I have relied on her counsel, her experience, and her steady leadership more times than I can count.

After ten years of service, Director LaScaleia leaves behind a department that is stronger, more capable, and better prepared for the future than the one she inherited. I am deeply grateful for all she has given Northampton and wish her every success in whatever comes next. The city has benefited enormously from her service, and I will greatly miss working alongside her,” shared Mayor Sciarra.

The city will begin a search immediately for Northampton's next Director of Public Works. The position will be posted publicly, and a search will be conducted to identify the strongest candidate to lead the department moving forward.

To support a smooth transition, the city anticipates overlap between LaScaleia and her successor and expects to retain her on a limited basis following her departure to assist with onboarding and continuity as needed.

"Donna LaScaleia has been an excellent partner in planning this transition, and she has committed to helping ensure a smooth handoff to the next Director," said Mayor Sciarra. "I am confident that Northampton residents will continue to receive the reliable public services they depend on every day as we conduct a search for her successor."

For more information, please contact the Mayor's Office at (413) 587-1249 or mayor@northamptonma.gov.