Whoever was to take over the director role of Warren’s Department of Public Works was going to have big shoes to fill — as there are few public servants more highly regarded and involved in their community as the recently-retired Jan Malik, who worked decades within the department and also served as a local representative.

But new director Brian Wheeler appears to be up for the job, and happy to do it.

“I’m very thrilled to be in this position,” he said on Monday from the department’s headquarters on Birchswamp Road. “The Town of Warren is beautiful and I love it. I’ve been here three months now working in it, and my goal is to continue moving Warren in the right direction. I think the previous directors before me were doing a great job, and we want to continue that growth and just keep Warren a beautiful place for the people.”

Wheeler began back in March and has been assessing priorities for the town since. He said that weighing each project in town equally was of the highest importance.

“I don’t like to go into things and say we always do this because of this,” he said. “Everything is equal. Every section of town is equal. We want to make sure everybody gets the same treatment all the way through.”

A Warwick native, Wheeler began his career as an engineer in the Army National Guard after one year at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. He began as a surveyor, but within six months that job got transitioned elsewhere, so he became an equipment operator. In his 15-year career with the Guard, he has risen in the ranks to becoming an E7 Platoon Sergeant, overseeing a group of about 35 soldiers. Wheeler said the experience has transitioned perfectly into the public sector.

“I got the best of both worlds. Surveyors usually go out there and tell you how to put a road in, and the operators put the road in. It was kind of unique that I got to do both early on in my career,” he said. “It transitioned perfectly well for this. I’m coming into a department that has about 25 people that work in it doing the same exact type of work. We’re fixing roads and maintaining drainage…Managing the personnel, that’s what I like most about it actually. Figuring out where to send people and how to get them there and do it efficiently.”

Wheeler has since gone back to college to receive his associates degree from CCRI and is now enrolled in a bachelor’s program at Providence College — an educational track that he now recommends to the younger soldiers he leads.

“I tell them you may not want [college] now, but in five years you might want to go back,” he said. “Don’t close the door on it, just say ‘not today.’ I did much better as a student going back when I was 25 than when I was 18.”

High prices and efficient budgeting
Amid the current economy — rife with rampant inflation and the lingering threat of Covid possibly decimating the ranks of his employees at any given time — the first few months have certainly not been straightforward, but Wheeler said he’s taking the challenges in stride.

“Something as simple as road paving. Road paving uses petroleum, so what we had for a contract last contract is now more expensive — less roads for the same amount of money. We’re in a contract year for the roads, so as we go out to bid, it’s going to be a big part of our bid process — finding out how much more things have gone up,” he said. “Projects that you were expecting this year might have to bleed into next year. It’s tough, but we’re all dealing with that.”

Wheeler mentioned how the effects of supply chain issues and inflation have emerged in various ways, from being unable to get lights for a new service truck due to them being back ordered, to the price of shells for shell roads going up dramatically. As a result, becoming more efficient with the department’s budget is another high priority.

“One of the things I want to do is make sure we’re tracking how much we’re putting into each vehicle and how we spend that money to make sure we’re spending it properly,” he said. “We don’t want to spend money on something that is never going to get back on the road.”

Wheeler had praise for the town’s forward-thinking attitude on infrastructure and climate change.

“For the most part, I think the town is doing a great job of forward thinking. I think continuing that and moving forward and keeping the public informed of what we’re doing is what we’re trying to do,” he said. “We want to make sure we’re spending money in the right places.”

The best of both worlds
With his military background, Wheeler has the perspective to know that reporting to one direct supervisor is much more manageable than having multiple commanding officers demanding different things from him. He still plans on serving out the remaining five years of his service with the Guard, but seemed genuinely appreciative for his current opportunity in Warren.

“You get the best of both worlds here,” he said, commenting on the city feel of the downtown and the rural feel of the Touisset area. “Honestly, I can say I have never been happier. Knowing what I’m doing here and how it affects 11,000 people and helping them — every day is a good day. Even on the days when you know you’re going to get bombarded with stuff, it’s good to know we’re going to fix it, we’re going to make it better.”