Hersh Leaving a Legacy, and a Piece of Her Heart

Soon after settling into her new home in a new Nashua development 28 years ago, Kathy Hersh says she realized the true value of community. The process of working with her new neighbors to iron out the details of sidewalks and green space led her to get interested in city government.

"I started to see the process that developers go through. At the time I was home with small children so I had more time than some of the other people in my neighborhood to take it all in. Eventually, I was invited to be on the Conservation Commission," said Hersh, who recently announced her retirement as the city's Director of Community Development.

That was 1985, and in the years that followed, Hersh rolled up her sleeves and became a central player in the protection of wetlands. She also learned that the Conservation Commission was an integral part of the process, but that the big decisions made by the city came through the Board of Aldermen. So she ran – and got elected – to serve on the city's legislative board, a post she held for 10 years.

In the meantime, Hersh worked as a consultant for community and economic development projects in various Massachusetts communities, including Lawrence, Watertown, and for the Bay Circuit Trail, a 200-mile trail that runs from Duxbury to Newburyport.

When Nashua had an opening for Community Development Director in 2001, Hersh answered the call.

"It combined everything that was important to me," said Hersh, who has oversight of the Planning Department, Office of Economic Development, Building Safety Department, Code Enforcement Department and Urban Programs Department.

"I feel like I've made a difference in protecting land here in Nashua – when I moved here the city was in the midst of huge amounts of development, and as important as that is to a city, you also have to balance that with protecting land," Hersh said.

Development of the Heritage Rail Trail is one of the first projects Hersh championed for the city, and she feels some sense of closure seeing other groups and individuals stepping up to continue the development of green spaces dedicated to improving the quality of life for city dwellers.

On a recent afternoon Hersh was out making the rounds, as she often does – sometimes on her bicycle, but this day, on foot, to walk the "tree street" neighborhoods. 

She lingered at the new Gate City Community Gardens project, where garden beds are quickly filling with plants that will soon turn into bumper crops of vegetables.

"This one is a salsa garden – it has tomatoes and peppers – there some corn growing. It's really wonderful to see how the community is coming together to reclaim this space," said Hersh.

When you break it down, directing community development has a double meaning of sorts – you can develop a community through projects and land use. And you can also develop a sense of community in those who participate in the process. Hersh says since the beginning, she's always felt like a "gap filler," one who steps in to connect the dots or get something off the ground, before moving on to the next project.

The layers of meaning in her job title are not lost to Hersh.

"That's exactly how I feel about it. Sometimes people forget that a good part of the work we do is development review – it's just part of the process of making sure we have a quality environment, and green spaces, and all that in Nashua, and we do provide opportunities for people to gather and connect. That's why the Rail Trail is so important in the tree streets," Hersh said.

"Way back when we had to say it was all about transportation, just to get the funding, but it's really always been about a way to connect people," Hersh said.

The decision to retire was not an easy one, but came naturally following her husband's retirement last fall, says Hersh.

"I always said that I can't retire until people – particularly young people – were ready to take on the responsibility for the next 20 years of making our community and keeping it great. I'm seeing that now, the Community Garden stuff, PAL, the YMCA, NeighborWorks, Positive Street Art, Boys & Girls Club – so many people and groups of people collaborating now," Hersh said.

If she could pass along some wisdom to her successor it would be simply to continue to empower residents to be part of the vision for the future.

"And to make sure all of the fabulous professional staff have the tools and resources to do their job well. There's a tremendous amount of work done in that division, and some really fabulous people who work as a team and are proud of work they do; that to me is the most important thing," Hersh said.

"I definitely will continue working with the Sculpture Symposium and help to advance the arts in the city, because it's a noble cause. Now is the perfect time, because there's nothing I have to worry about when I leave. Everything is in its place; it's the right time," she said.

"The  other day I went into (Planning Director) Roger Houston's office and he was showing me all the work he and the Planning Department are doing on the trails in the southwest quadrant. He had gotten a map and put them all on the map, and you could see all the connections, and I thought, 'I can check that one off.' It's the last section of the river walk, between Margarita's and Jackson Falls – and it's finally done. It took three to four years, and we had to get easements and buy land. It was a lot of work, but they're on it, so I don't have to be," Hersh said.

"Summer is my favorite season. It feels like the right time to go. I'm ready to spend time with my mother and my sisters, do some traveling, hopefully be able to do more kayaking and hiking," Hersh said.

"I always try to follow my heart, to go with my gut, and when I get little red flags or things from my inner heart tell me something, I try to listen. It's time for me to move on. I'm not sure what exactly comes next, but it will be whatever grabs my heart."