LYNN — After decades spent shaping the city’s infrastructure, Michael Donovan has returned to familiar ground, not out of obligation but out of a sense of continuity and care for the community he has called home for his entire life.
Donovan, born in nearby Salem and raised in Lynn, the city’s interim commissioner of public works, describes a life deeply rooted in the area.
“I graduated from Lynn Classical,” he shared, joking that it was a century ago. “I’ve lived in Lynn, raised my family in Lynn, I still live here.”
His connection to the city is both personal and professional. A registered engineer with an MBA from Salem State, he spent 15 years in the private sector before joining the city in 1997 as a city engineer.
Just two years later, Donovan stepped into the role of commissioner of the DPW, serving until 2004. From there, he transitioned into a long tenure as chief of inspectional services, a position he held for more than two decades.
Over the years, his work has touched nearly every corner of the city, from roads to sidewalks to schools and public buildings.
Most recently, as director of capital projects, he helped oversee major initiatives such as the construction of the new Pickering Middle School and other citywide improvements.
Now, he has returned to the DPW in an interim capacity, stepping in after the previous commissioners’ resignation.
The decision was simple, he said. “The mayor asked me to help out… and this is a job you need somebody sitting here doing. It’s not something to take lightly.”
For Dononvan, the role feels less like a new challenge.
“It’s like coming home,” he expressed. “I’ve been away for 22 years now, (I’m) back here and doing what I did when I left, only for a short period.”
Despite changes in technology and tools, he emphasized that the core mission of the department remains the same. “Pick up trash, maintain the parks, maintain the streets,” he said. “The methods may have changed… but the basic functions remain the same.”
Those functions, however, are more complex than many residents realize, especially when it comes to unpredictable New England weather. One of the biggest misconceptions about the job, he noted, is the expectation of precision during storms.
“That you have control over the weather… stop,” he said with a laugh. “People watch TV…and believe the forecast is going to be exact. That’s just not the reality.”
Instead, the job is inherently reactive. Crews prepare year-round, but conditions can shift rapidly.
“You can prepare all year and be ready… but then you’re reacting when things happen,” he explained. “Sometimes it’s supposed to rain, and it turns to ice… now you’ve got to get the trucks out.”
Beyond winter operations, the department’s responsibilities stretch across all seasons. Trash collection, sidewalk repairs, tree maintenance, and cemetery operations continue year-round, while warmer months bring a surge of new activity: paving roads, repairing infrastructure, maintaining parks, and preparing athletic fields for community use.
In fact, some of Donovan’s earliest memories of Lynn center on those public spaces. “The parks were always active,” he recalled. “Soccer, football, softball, and they were all well-maintained, so people could use them. That’s something we still strive to keep.”
That sense of consistency, of showing and maintaining the physical fabric of the city, has defined both his career and his leadership style.
“I believe in leading by example,” he said. “Come in, do my work, and make sure people are held accountable to do theirs.”
Even after nearly three decades in municipal service, challenges remain. Chief among them: balancing the city’s needs with limited time and funding.
“You can’t pave every street that everyone wants paved,” he said. “So we evaluate, we plan, and we try to stay ahead of the curve.”
Donovan’s return comes at a critical time, as the department transitions leadership and prepares for a busy construction season. Among his immediate goals are launching a new roadway project, evaluating the city’s aging vehicle fleet, and ensuring everything is ready for upcoming community milestones, including the start of Little League season.
For a man whose career has been defined by steady, behind-the-scenes work, the focus remains on continuity rather than recognition.
“We take care of the physical things that keep the city running,” he said.
And for now, back in the role he once held and a city he never left, that work continues, much as it always has.
