Portsmouth Water and Fire District hires new manager

I am excited to take my experience in consulting and my passion for the water industry and use it to manage the utility that is so vital to the town.”

Jessica Lynch, incoming general manager and chief engineer

PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth Water and Fire District has hired Jessica C. Lynch, as its new general manager and chief engineer to replace William J. McGlinn, who is retiring at the end of October after 29 years of service with the District.

According to a press release sent out by the District, Ms. Lynch, 35, is a registered professional engineer in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of New Hampshire and a Master’s Degree in civil engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 

She has been a project engineer and project manager for 13 years with CDM Smith, a consulting engineering firm, of Providence.

A Portsmouth native and member of the Portsmouth High School Class of 2000, Ms. Lynch was hired by the District’s Administrative Board after a two-month search. She will be training with Mr. McGlinn and take over as the general manager and chief engineer upon his retirement.

Philip T. Driscoll, chairman of the Administrative Board, said Ms. Lynch was chosen for her substantial experience in water distribution and water treatment design. In her former position with CDM Smith, she managed over 12 water and wastewater projects for the City of Brockton, Mass., with contracts ranging from $50,000 to $1.1 million. 

Additionally, she worked with various municipalities, regulatory agencies, lawyers, contractors, vendors and other consulting firms on a variety of environmental engineering projects. According to Mr. Driscoll, Ms. Lynch comes highly recommended by her professional colleagues.

Ms. Lynch lives in Portsmouth with her husband and her two young children. She said she enjoyed working for CDM Smith but when the opportunity arose to apply to the District as general manager and chief engineer, she could not pass it up.

“The general manager opportunity to work in the town I love, close to family, doing something I am passionate about does not come around too often, and for me is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Ms. Lunch stated in the press release. “I am excited to take my experience in consulting and my passion for the water industry and use it to manage the utility that is so vital to the town”.

Ms. Lynch started working for the District on June 13 under a three-year employment contract.