Austin Calaman named new Lewes BPW general manager

When Austin Calaman joined the Lewes Board of Public Works as the assistant general manager in June 2016, he had very little experience with the utility industry. But in the first few months on the job, he immersed himself, spending a week on the ground in each department learning everything he could. 

Over the next five years, he built on that foundation and set himself up to be the logical successor to now-former General Manager Darrin Gordon. 

The BPW directors voted unanimously Aug. 4 to make Calaman the new general manager. The directors did their due diligence, hiring an outside firm to post the job opening and collect a list of qualified candidates. BPW directors narrowed the list down to Calaman and another person, then held in-person interviews Aug. 4. 

Calaman checked all the boxes.

“Austin has all the qualities we need,” said BPW Vice President A. Thomas Owen. “And if he doesn't, he has the ability to grow into it. He has the core knowledge of Board of Public Works now, so he does not have to learn about most of what we do. And he has the ability to grow because we've seen him grow in this position, and he has done a tremendous job.”

When the BPW directors held interviews for the assistant general manager position five years ago, BPW President D. Preston Lee said Calaman’s resume didn’t stand out, but one particular letter of recommendation from one of his professors resonated.

“It wasn’t your normal ‘he’s a good man,’” Lee said. “It was enthusiastic and basically said if we didn’t select this guy, we’d be making a mistake. When we interviewed him on the phone, again, his questions and answers were excellent.”

That led to an in-person interview where Calaman was selected over another candidate with more experience.

“Austin just stood out,” Lee said.

Calaman attended York College, where he graduated with a degree in supply chain operations management. He admittedly didn’t know much about utilities when he applied for and accepted the assistant general manager job.

“When I came on, I took a holistic view of everything and saw where we could gain efficiencies,” he said.

The time he spent in each department at the outset was incredibly valuable, he said.

“That gave me a good picture of how the operations are handled, where we could improve, the likes and dislikes; that was the starting point,” he said.

As time passed, he picked up more tasks, and his responsibilities grew as he worked hand in hand with Gordon. When Gordon announced his departure two months ago, Calaman jumped in to ensure a smooth transition. 

“We had some long evenings, long days to prepare,” Calaman said.

BPW Director Earl Webb said Calaman’s relationships with the staff and others in Lewes have been impressive.

“I have not been on the board for that long, but the growth that I’ve seen [him] make is just wildly impressive, and I think [he] will continue to grow and continue to do better every day of the week,” he said.

Newest BPW Director Richard Nichols agreed with his colleagues.

“The enthusiasm, energy and continuity that he provides I think will benefit BPW for many, many years to come,” he said.

BPW Director Tom Panetta said Calaman has helped the board through some of the difficult times, such as the wastewater treatment plant failure, and stepped up to contribute on many other projects.

“I’ve seen Austin take hold of the grips and get involved,” he said. “The amount he’s been able to learn and contribute is a testament to his ability.”

Among Calaman’s goals as general manager is to ensure the relationship between BPW and the city continues to move in a positive direction. He’d also like to make the BPW/ratepayer relationship stronger, including improving transparency, and ratepayer education and awareness.

Calaman married his wife Shelby in September and the couple now live in Ocean View.