New public works director has an eye on future planning. But first, pot holes.

LACONIA — Nate Guerette is the city’s new director of Public Works, City Manager Kirk Beattie said Monday afternoon. 

Guerette served the city as that department’s assistant director and engineer since his hiring in November 2022, and as interim public works director since January 2026, after former director Wes Anderson took the project manager position in the city’s Planning Department.  

In his previous role, Guerette oversaw the public works Engineering and Sanitary Sewer divisions. Beginning March 30, he’s in charge of the whole thing.

When Anderson took the planning job, the city named Guerette as interim director of public works, and, soon thereafter, advertised for Anderson’s replacement. They received six applicants for the job, including Guerette and, following an interview process, “the decision was made to go with Nate,” Beattie said Tuesday afternoon.  

“I was very pleased with what he had to say,” and Guerette’s ideas and vision for the department going forward, Beattie said. He’s had the opportunity to watch Guerette work in his prior capacity, and then as interim director, and said he’s displayed all of the qualities essential to good management. “I think he’s done a really nice job.” 

Guerette hails from Manchester, originally, a graduate of Central High School. He’s got a bachelor of science degree in oceanography from University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, and before working for the city, spent time as a project manager in Saudi Arabia, and at Camp Belknap, in Tuftonboro.

Seeking work in the aquatic life support systems industry, Guerette saw a job posting for an opportunity in Saudi Arabia and, “five weeks later [he] was on a plane.” Initially, he was supposed to be an “operator,” but his job description soon changed to that of project manager. It turned out he had a knack for the work, completing a significantly-delayed project in nine months, and became interested in facilities management.

“I really liked the variety,” Guerette said Tuesday afternoon.  

Upon his return to New Hampshire, having finished his degree online while overseas, he sought work in facilities management, initially landing at Camp Belknap, where he spent time as a camper in his youth. He was living in Bristol, where he and his wife still reside, when an opportunity opened up in the city. Guerette applied and was soon hired. 

A through-line in his career is his ability to ask the right questions, and ask them of the correct people. A large part of the job, he learned while serving as interim director, is to answer questions quickly and accurately, with almost no room for error. 

Noting Guerette is knowledgeable, experienced, responsive to the public, and good at providing the most important information quickly and accurately, Beattie said “yeah, absolutely I do,” when asked if he was confident he picked the right candidate for the director’s seat. 

“I think he’s going to be a really valuable asset to the city,” Beattie said. “Public works really interacts with almost everything that happens in the city.” 

And that is important business in Laconia of late — Beattie pointed to a number of challenges he knew the new director would face upon their hiring. The city’s need for a new public works facility, for example, to provide for the city’s needs while reviewing and understanding its wants come budget time, and a broad priority of recruiting and retaining employees. 

“That takes work,” Beattie said. “That really comes from strong leadership.” 

The job is split in two parts, sort of: it’s a complicated balance between handling hundreds of day-to-day tasks — pot holes, vehicle maintenance, seasonal tasks — and thinking long-term, executing planning and caring for capital improvements, which can take months or years to complete, and may involve huge sums of money. At the end of the day, public works is responsible for, essentially, the city’s roads and sidewalks, and everything within the right-of-way.

“My focus right now is all of it,” he said. “I think I have a good nose for it all.”

Long-range planning is his focus at present, as is ensuring his team, which he described as a “little army of men who can mobilize,” is taken care of properly. When asked what he learned, jumping into the chair in the interim ahead of what would turn out to be a classic New England winter, he said it's that the employees in the department are “very dependable and hardworking, loyal, proud,” and they know their job better than anyone.

And Guerette is ready to hit the ground running — in his first months in the position, he intends to present Beattie with concepts and pricing for a new public works building for the future. He’s also focused on road repairs, and is looking to invest in infrared heaters and associated “hot boxes,” a technology which will likely prove much more cost effective in repairing pot holes over time.

They’re used to heat the surface up to 300 degrees with 2 inches of depth, and create seamless repairs to asphalt pot holes, not patches. It may prove a valuable weapon in the war to bring the city’s asset — its roads — up to a higher standard. The city can likely get set up, all in, for under $20,000 — they’ve spent about $19,000 on cold patch this winter alone. 

“We’re going to be fixing a lot of pot holes,” Guerette said.