Harvard Chooses City Ambassador

Harvard has tapped the current head of Cambridge’s Chamber of Commerce to be the University’s main representative to the city—a pick that has already drawn criticism from some local activists.

Thomas J. Lucey will begin his new job as director of community relations for Cambridge on July 28, University officials announced earlier this month, filling a position that has been vacant for a year and a half.

In a city known for its often-contentious town-gown battles over building projects and tax exemptions, Harvard’s pick of a new ambassador to Cambridge is already causing controversy among some residents, who say the pick could reflect a shift in Harvard’s focus away from neighborhoods and towards business.

“In my last three years of going to public hearings, Tom Lucey...always spoke out in favor of big developers, and always spoke out against neighborhood wishes,” said Cob Carlson, a Riverside activist. “His track record matches Harvard in dealing with neighborhoods. It is a predictable pick on their part but it’s a terrible pick for neighborhoods.”

But Mary H. Power, Harvard’s senior director of community relations, said that Lucey is well-equipped to deal with all aspects of Cambridge, and she says in his post at the Chamber of Commerce he actively worked with several neighborhoods.

“Tom has a full understanding of the fabric of the city of Cambridge, including resident interests and business,” Power said.

In addition to three years as president and chief executive officer of the Chamber of Commerce, Lucey has served as director of community relations at Forest City Enterprises, a real estate company that developed University Park near MIT, and worked in the state legislature.

Lucey said he has “a significant understanding of the issues of the city of Cambridge.”

“Any time you have an institution like Harvard sitting in a city with just 6.8 square miles, there are parts of the relationship that are great, and there are parts that are going to ebb and flow a little bit,” he said.

John Pitkin of the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Association said he thinks Lucey’s business-oriented resume contrasts with the more community-focused backgrounds of his predecessors in the post.

“He should strengthen Harvard’s connections to the corporate and business community,” Pitkin said. “I don’t know what he brings to the relationships with neighborhoods. It seems that they’re emphasizing the former.”

The last person to fill the position, Travis McCready, departed in November 2001 after an 18-month tenure.

McCready, a former lawyer and fifth-grade teacher who left Harvard to become the chief of staff of the charitable Boston Foundation, said he became well-acquainted with Lucey during his time at Harvard and believes he will be a good choice.

“Tom is fantastic, smart, committed and has a real good understanding of Cambridge politics, the Cambridge business community and Cambridge real estate concerns,” he said. “He has a very good reputation in Cambridge City Hall, which will serve him very well.”

Power, who oversees the University’s relations with all of its host communities including Boston and Watertown, has attended community meetings and served as the main spokesperson on Cambridge matters since McCready’s departure.

She said the process of finding a replacement has been lengthy.

“We’ve been very interested in finding someone with a strong Cambridge knowledge base, and [Lucey] is that ideal candidate,” she said.

McCready said the University has asked him to speak with several candidates about the job. He said the search has taken so long because the University has been “picky.”

“They’ve been judicious,” he said. “I think they wanted to make sure that their next choice was a good one and a good fit not just for the current situation but for the situation going into the future.”

Power said she will continue to work on ongoing issues in Cambridge, including negotiations with the Agassiz neighborhood over development of the North Yard.

“I will, I hope, be able to help [Vice President of Government, Community and Public Affairs Alan J. Stone] on more of a University-wide basis to look at opportunities to improve community relations,” she said. “I will no doubt continue to be involved in Cambridge to some degree because there’s so much activity now.”

Lucey, meanwhile, will focus on issues specific to Cambridge.

He said his job will involve “facilitating communications between the University and the different audiences in Cambridge, whether that is neighborhoods that are abutting the University, or city government, or an individual that has an issue with the University.”

McCready said the role can be difficult and called the relations between the University and the city “a rocky road.”

“There’s no magic bullet,” McCready said. “Sometimes it can be a thankless job, but the things that will serve him well are the things that he’s practiced professionally and personally throughout his entire career. Integrity, trust, honesty, those will rule the day.”

Power also said she thinks Lucey is up to the challenge.

“Tom is known as someone who listens and has the ability to bring people together,” she said. “I think he will help improve relations and it will be to the benefit of both the University and the city.”

—Staff writer Jessica R. Rubin-Wills can be reached at rubinwil@fas.harvard.edu.