Public Works Announces 2025 Commissioner's Award Winners

As part of a national celebration of Public Works Week, the Department of Public Works (DPW) Commissioner Kathy Watkins and other City officials recently honored the recipients of the 2025 Commissioner’s Award for Outstanding Performance during a ceremony and cookout at the DPW yard. This award recognizes five employees of the DPW who have demonstrated exemplary work performance.

“This year’s nomination submissions highlighted themes that truly reflect the everyday work of our DPW staff,” said Kathy Watkins, Commissioner of the Cambridge Department of Public Works. “While these comments were submitted for individual employees, they speak to the strength of our entire department. Our team is hardworking, dedicated, and known for solving problems—this is who you call when something needs to get done. We value collaboration, teamwork, and supporting one another. And we take pride in being a diverse, welcoming, and authentic department. Each of this year’s Commissioner Award winners exemplifies the DPW we are and the DPW we aspire to be.”

Congratulations to our 2025 Commissioner’s Award for Outstanding Performance winners:

• Steven Arruda, Working Foreperson/Laborer, Building Operations Division
• Charles Harkins, Working Supervisor/MEO IIA, Urban Forestry Division
• Emanuel Mercury, Motor Equipment Operator/Laborer, Solid Waste Division
• T.J. Shea, Superintendent of Streets, Streets & Sewer Division
• Irina Sidorenko, Project Manager, Energy & Sustainability, Business Services Division

The Richard C. Rossi Dedicated Service Award was created in 2016 to recognize DPW staff who have dedicated many years of service to the City of Cambridge. The award honors Rich Rossi, who served the City for 45 years.

This year, we are proud to recognize two employees who have each reached the milestone of 30 years of service:

• David Denn, Public Works Supervisor, Off Hours
• Robert Stone, Public Works Supervisor, Building Operations