Page 10 - July-Aug2024 Vol42 No2

PORTLAND By Lisa Hood Skinner
PW Spotlight: Carlton Cobb

City of Portland Public Works Director

Carlton Cobb, City of Portland’s Public He’s been with the city more than eight
Works Director, says he tries to soak years, in which time he’s served as Ms4
up knowledge by practicing focused Stormwater Program Manager, Health
listening. “I let people talk, and I listen. and Safety Coordinator and Engineering
I try to observe more than I speak. I’m a Assistant. Now as Public Works Director,
continuous learner.” he’s responsible for managing 30 people
Cobb said the more that he listens, within five departments: Highway and
the better he understands the needs of Streets; Stormwater, Sanitation, Fleet
Portland’s citizens. Maintenance, and Grants Management.
“I get out into the community to do a Regarding the Stormwater Department,
lot of volunteer work and meet people,” he’s excited about a new facility that better
he said, explaining that his fraternity meets its needs.
affiliation encourages everything from “I’m proud that earlier this year, we
feeding the elderly, to assisting the broke ground on a new building for the
homeless population, to gathering Stormwater Department. It encompasses
shoes for children. Those experiences 5,000 square feet and will serve as storage
have influenced many aspects of his and admin for six people,” he said.
professional life. Cobb said his city administration
He said he also loves finding supports and values his TCAPWA
opportunities to layer budgets with membership and its resulting access to
additional grants, enabling projects to best practices and leadership, “especially a band scholarship, playing the trumpet,
have an even greater impact. “If I know from John Chlarson and Mark Miller. So and his office reflects musical themes.
I have a specific need, and I have an far I’ve attended the recent Memphis and He’s also played taps for the city’s 9/11
allocated pot of money, I’ll go out and find Nashville conferences,” he said, adding Remembrance Ceremony.
a grant to supplement that,” he said. “I that he looks forward to getting more Another important part of his life?
received approval to buy five new vehicles, involved as time goes on. His 65-lb.-pitbull named Dizzy. Cobb
and I found a grant that paid 75% of that.” Look into his office and you can see affectionately calls the 14-year-old dog his
“The ability to challenge myself is my Cobb’s love of music. He went to TSU on “pitbully.”
favorite part about being City of Portland’s
Director of Public Works,” he said. On his
agenda? “Getting my engineering license,
the P.E. With a math degree (Bachelor of
Science from Tennessee State University),
I can sit for that license. The City of
Portland could benefit a lot from having Population: 13,482 (2022)
an inhouse engineer in the Public Works Counties: Sumner and Robertson
Department.”

10 TPW July/August 2024