Dedicated Liaison to Support Open Dialogue and Responsive Solutions for Businesses and Residents Impacted by Critical Downtown Upgrades
Keene, NH – June 2, 2025: The City of Keene is pleased to announce the hiring of George Downing as Ombudsman for the Downtown Infrastructure Project. In this pivotal role, Mr. Downing will serve as an impartial, dedicated, and readily accessible point of contact for downtown businesses and residents, ensuring their concerns and feedback are heard and addressed throughout the duration of this vital downtown infrastructure improvement effort. He will start on Monday, June 2, 2025.
As the project Ombudsman, Mr. Downing will function as the primary liaison between the community and the construction team, including City departments and contractors. His core responsibilities will be to collect, document, and relay public feedback and concerns, coordinating prompt responses and resolutions with City Departments and construction staff. The goal is to minimize potential disruptions to local businesses and ensure clear, timely communication for all parties involved.
“We understand that a project of this scale can present challenges, and our priority is to ensure the community feels fully supported and informed every step of the way,” stated Don Lussier, Director of Public Works. “His role is critical in ensuring that every voice is heard and that we can address concerns effectively, minimizing inconvenience as we work to improve our downtown infrastructure.”
In this part-time position, Mr. Downing will also hold regular discussions and updates through various channels including in-person meetings, coordinate with project managers to relay community concerns, suggest effective solutions that minimize inconvenience to the public, prepare regular reports identifying community feedback and solutions, and present monthly updates to the City Council’s Municipal Services, Facilities and Infrastructure (MSFI) Committee.
Mr. Downing brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the Keene community to this role. He has served the community for the past 10 years as a member of the Keene School Board. His background, which includes over two decades in engineering design and construction management as well as a proven track record of thoughtful communication and responsiveness to public concerns, makes him exceptionally well-suited to serve in this position.
“Downtown Keene is the heart of our community, and maintaining strong communications will be instrumental to the success of this important project,” said Downing. “I am excited to take on this role and look forward to supporting the community and the City to ensure all voices are being heard as we work together to improve our downtown for the future.”
The Downtown Infrastructure Project represents a significant investment in the City’s future, with improvements to utilities, streetscapes, accessibility, and more. The City is committed to completing this work with transparency, community input, and as little disruption as possible. Mr. Downing was selected after reviews of and interviews with numerous applicants for his experience with similar projects, both in technical proficiency and, importantly, dedicated customer communications. His role as Ombudsman will provide an essential resource for effective two-way communication.
For more information about the Downtown Infrastructure Project, please visit KeeneNH.gov/downtown or contact the Department of Public Works at (603) 352-6550.
