I don’t think I would have been ready to take on the role of town administrator had I not had that graduate-level education. It helped position me to be ready for the next level of my career.
As the town administrator for Easton, Connor Read, G’16, oversees a municipal entity serving more than 25,000 residents. He leads a team that tackles a plethora of duties, from repairing streets to providing public health and safety services.
It’s a challenging yet rewarding job for which he felt prepared after earning a master’s degree in public administration at BSU.
“I don’t think I would have been ready to take on the role of town administrator had I not had that graduate-level education,” he said. “It helped position me to be ready for the next level of my career.”
Read has worked in Easton for most of his career, starting in 2012 as the citizen business advocate. In that role, he helped people navigate municipal permitting. His mentor encouraged him to pursue graduate school and BSU was a perfect fit.
“Bridgewater’s program was really attractive because it has national accreditation,” he said. “It was very close by. It was a program that was accessible, credible and affordable.”
Read appreciated how evening classes met the needs of working professionals. Faculty taught relevant theories while discussing how students could apply them in their careers. His classmates brought an array of professional experiences to class discussions.
The program’s focus on communication and group work became essential as he assumed increasing responsibility in Easton.
“Just being the technician who can make sense of something is not enough,” he said. “You need to be able to effectively communicate.”
While a graduate student, Read received a promotion to assistant town administrator. In 2017, he was named town administrator, becoming one of the youngest municipal chief executives in Massachusetts.
One of his former professors, Dr. Deniz Leuenberger, is not surprised to see Read’s success.
“Connor was and is a value-driven individual,” said Leuenberger, who is now chief of staff and vice president for planning and strategy at BSU. “One of the things I really remember about his time in my classroom was how respectful he was of others. He had that level of maturity early.”
Read also excels at interpreting complex information, a skill that is essential to being a town administrator, Leuenberger said.
Read lives in Easton and enjoys seeing the positive effects of town government on display throughout his community. One of his proudest accomplishments, he said, was being part of a team that oversaw construction of a new elementary school.
He traces his interest in public service back to middle school, when he struggled academically after losing his father to cancer.
“If it weren’t for the history teachers, guidance counselors and school resource officers who went above and beyond to pull me back from the brink, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “On a very personal level, I know how important public servants are.”
A Bridgewater education, he said, helps him ensure local government continues to make such a profound difference.
“I’ve been a proud product of public education, and Bridgewater was a big part of that,” Read said. “It has enabled me to do my job well and serve the community well.”
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