Josh Morse has a desk at City Hall, but unlike other Newton officials, he considers his true office to be in Newton’s backyards and streets.

Morse is Newton’s new chief operating officer, and he plans to run his office by welcoming complaints, being easily accessible to the Newton community, and working with communities across the commonwealth to turn local government into an efficient machine.

“I truly believe in being a public servant,” Morse said. “I want to be an instrument of change in this city.”

Morse, previously the commissioner of public buildings, assumed his new position Jan. 1. 

“The role has a very broad lens,” Morse said. “I support police, fire, public works, inspectional services… So a lot with hard-scape operational departments.”

Morse, who grew up in Keene, N.H., lights up when reminiscing about his youth. He spent his childhood working on his grandparents’ farm, which he says gave him an aptitude for hard work.

When he was in eighth grade, he won a competition that allowed him to have lunch with the mayor at Keene City Hall, an event that changed the trajectory of his life.

“I remember in that meeting, the sense of pride that our mayor took in being able to help people,” he recalled.

Many years later, Morse sits in another City Hall. His path from one City Hall to another City Hall, however, was anything but straightforward. After his meeting with the mayor of Keene, Morse wondered how his dream of helping people would take shape.

“I thought about whether I wanted to be a police officer,” said Morse, who declined to give his age. “And then ultimately the path that I took was I joined the Navy and I got into their nuclear engineering program.” It was a demanding, exciting career, serving aboard a fast attack submarine trolling in international waters. As he grew older, however, his priorities shifted toward a more grounded path, particularly when he met his wife, who is from Waltham.

“At that point, I was dating my now wife,” he said. “I then quickly moved down here to Waltham. And now we’re married and have two beautiful twin girls.” So he decided to serve the people most important to him: his family.

“I think that one of the things that attracted me to staying in the public sector… it allowed me to be home at night, for the most part,” Morse joked. 

Even in his portfolio of past and present projects, Morse said he has a keen interest in delivering for youth. As public buildings commissioner, he spearheaded the renovation and building of schools and recreation centers around Newton.

When Morse first moved to Newton in 2007, however, he noticed something peculiar when visiting Angier Elementary School

“When I came to Newton I was surprised by its incredible educational system,” he said: “Angier was approaching its 100-year mark, and I couldn’t believe the conditions. For a top-tier public education system, our building conditions were in really tough shape.” He rebuilt it from the ground up.

Listening to community members and building an efficient, safe Newton is of utmost importance, he said.

“I can show you hundreds of hours of minutes from meetings with the community,” said Alex Valcarce, Newton’s building commissioner. 

Newton Mayor Marc Laredo spoke similarly to Morse’s character and aptitude for the job

“I am proud to have Morse serving as our chief operating officer,” Laredo said. “His passion, dedication and unwavering commitment to public service exemplify the qualities I think our residents want and deserve. Plus, he’s a really good guy.”

Seated in a full suit beneath the high ceilings of Newton City Hall, Morse seems at home in the chambers. 

“I’m a big history buff,” he said, “and I love thinking about the fact that City Hall was built in 1932 and all of the elected leaders that have come through here, the decisions they’ve made and how they’ve helped shape the city.”

This story is part of a partnership between the Newton Beacon and the Boston University Department of Journalism.