Cape Elizabeth Town Manager Patrick Fox said he received a warm welcome when he assumed his duties as Cape Elizabeth town manager in October and has already identified some key priorities and confronted challenges. Drew Johnson / Sentry

Patrick Fox has aspired to be a town or city manager for some time, but decided to wait until he could fully commit himself to the time-consuming profession.

“The night meetings, the weekend conversations, helping elected officials all hours of the day if they need it,” he told the Sentry.

In October, Fox took over as town manager of Cape Elizabeth.

“I just wanted to wait until my kids had moved on from high school given the time commitment that I wanted to put into this work if I was going to do it,” Fox said. “My youngest just graduated from high school, so this was the right time to jump in.”

Growing up in South Portland, Fox said he got to know the area well, even working a number of summer jobs in Cape Elizabeth during his high school and early college years. He went on to study environmental engineering at Wentworth Institute of Technology and, after graduating, worked for one of the engineering firms working on the Big Dig in Boston.

After 10 years in Boston, Fox and his wife decided to move back to Maine to raise their family and landed in Saco.

“After commuting back and forth to Boston for a while, I ended up getting a job with the city of Saco in the Public Works Department,” Fox said.

He said he wasn’t certain working for a municipality would be a long-term career, at least at first.

“I stayed there for 19 years.”

Fox was hired in 2005 and promoted to director of the Public Works Department in 2012. Throughout his career, he felt a growing sense of fulfillment in the work he was doing.

“I really loved the transition from the private sector to the public sector,” Fox said. “Once I got in and started serving the community, it was just a real connection to the work you were doing. You’re seeing the progression year after year, that you were making a difference in a community versus for clients.”

Fox said he enjoyed working across departments during his time as Saco’s public works director and that is part of what inspired him to eventually seek a role as town or city manager.

Great timing aside, when the job in Cape Elizabeth opened up, Fox said there were plenty of reasons to pursue it.

“I just felt like it has always been well-run, respected, performed at a high level, has a strong commitment to its citizens and a very, very engaged citizenry,” Fox said. “It’s a community where there’s a passion for the community.”

Plus, between Fort Williams, its beaches and trail networks, Fox said, “you just couldn’t ask for a more beautiful place to serve.”

Cape Elizabeth received over 20 applications for the position this summer. Tim Reiniger, chair of the Town Council throughout the hiring process, said “in selecting (Fox) as the new town manager, councilors are hoping that he’ll be able to use his engineering background, and staff leadership skills to head off controversies,” and he’s already proven he’s up to the task.

Parking at the Cookie Jar became a contentious issue within weeks of Fox assuming duties as town manager.

The topic was debated by both councilors and residents at length across multiple council meetings this fall. An online “Save the Cookie Jar” petition was signed by thousands of residents and the Town Council and Planning Board were simultaneously looking to address the issue.

“In only his second month, he was tested by the Cookie Jar parking controversy,” Reiniger said. “It was great to see his willingness to take an active role behind the scenes in working to accommodate the bakery’s parking needs.”

Fox said some major priorities he has is to retain and attract high-quality staff members and to ensure the town continues to provide high-quality services with minimal impact on taxpayers.

“Employee challenges are going on in every sector right now,” he said.

He identified addressing the school’s needs as a major challenge in town right now, with two school projects rejected by voters in recent years — by a wide margin in 2022 and by less than 200 votes this November.

“It’s finding a way to take care of and build our school infrastructure in a responsible way,” Fox said. “There’s been a number of efforts on the school side regarding school construction projects. Those can be divisive issues across many communities because they’re very expensive but they’re very important pieces of the community.”

In his free time, Fox likes to spend time with family and friends and said he likes to stay active mentally and physically by being outdoors, whether that’s going on a hike or playing a round of golf.

“I’ve been very humbled and pleased by all the people that have reached out to welcome me to the community,” Fox said. “I truly feel part of the community already.”

He also said “the staff has been absolutely phenomenal” throughout the transition. Fox’s predecessor, Matt Sturgis, worked for the town of Cape Elizabeth for 17 years before becoming town manager. Sturgis took over as town manager in 2017 after Mike McGovern, who held the role for 31 years, retired.

“I’m the first outside new manager they’ve had in decades,” Fox said. “To come into an organization and be welcomed at all levels has been really rewarding to me and makes me that much more committed to making sure I do the right thing for the community and perform at a high level for them.”