Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin has nominated a longtime Bristol official to be the city’s public works director, after 20 months of interim leadership of the department.
Bronin said Friday that he’s nominating Walter Veselka, who has led Bristol’s DPW since 2003.
Veselka will start next week, though the city council must still vote at an upcoming meeting to confirm his hire.
“Walt Veselka has been a highly regarded public works director in Connecticut for more than two decades, and we are excited that he will be joining our team and serving our city in such an important position,” Bronin said in a statement.
Since early last year, the DPW was headed by Fire Chief Reginald Freeman, who took on the added duties in an interim capacity after the retirement of former DPW leader Marilyn Cruz-Aponte.
Bronin praised Freeman for “simultaneously managing two of our most important departments.”
Veselka, a University of Hartford graduate, oversaw 120 employees in Bristol.
He previously led Coventry’s DPW between 1995 and 2003. He also served as a commissioned officer and civil engineer in the U.S. Guard, according to Bronin’s office.
