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“I am most pleased to have Dewey working with me in the first selectman’s office to assist me in carrying out the expanded mission I outlined during the election campaign," First Selectman Jim Marpe said in a statement Tuesday, June 10. "Dewey already has been making significant progress in enhancing the livability of our town as chairman of the Downtown Steering Committee.”
Loselle has over 30 years of full-time experience working in local and state government, as division chief for the New York City comptroller evaluating programs and agencies, as assistant commissioner for budget and finance in New York City, as a “Big 4” government consulting principal/partner, and as an elected official to the Westport RTM.
In his professional career, he has conducted over 100 consulting engagements with state and local governments, helping them to improve performance and functionality.
He has worked professionally as a consultant for the state of Connecticut and for municipalities such as Greenwich and Stamford. His experience in Connecticut goes back to the original Thomas Commission under Gov. William O’Neill, which looked at ways to re-engineer state government and make it more effective and efficient.
In addition, as a 22-year resident of Westport, he has a good understanding of state government and the Representative Town Meeting form of government in Westport, said the statement from Marpe. Loselle is "well-versed in the town’s charter, budget, ordinances and zoning regulations, as well as the workings of Westport’s many boards and commissions," the statement said.
A bipartisan search committee chaired by Pete Wolgast, a former executive assistant to former First Selectman Doug Wood, unanimously recommended Loselle.
“The high quality of applicants for this opening was amazing," Wolgast said. "Dewey has all of the experience and ability to be an outstanding success in his new role as operations director. I am certain that he will be a huge benefit to the first selectman in his goal of improving the operations of Westport’s town government.”
Former Board of Education Chairman Don O’Day, senior corporate executive Steve Parrish, communications specialist and town volunteer Karen Hess, and Westport Personnel Director Ralph Chetcuti also served on the committee.
“I was very impressed with all of the candidates, and the decision on whom to recommend was not easy," O'Day said. "After careful consideration, we chose Dewey based on his very impressive resume, his considerable knowledge of Westport’s governing structure, and his recent work leading the Downtown Steering Committee. He has shown he can get things done while reaching out to as many people as possible.”
The operations director position is designated in Section C4-3 of the Town Charter giving the first selectman the ability to employ someone to whom he can delegate authority in certain areas of government.
The funding of the position was approved as part of the annual budget process.
Loselle has a bachelor's degree in government magna cum laude from Boston University and a master's in public administration from New York University with concentrations in public policy and finance.
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