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Ian Sexton has only been in town for a few weeks, but Winchester’s new assistant town planner already feels at home.
“I’m very excited to be here and I’m ready to get to work for the town of Winchester,” Sexton said, sitting in a conference room in Town Hall. “I can see this is a community that is passionate about it’s government and I’m here to match that passion as well.”
Sexton started his position Aug. 27 and has jumped into the job wholeheartedly, attending Planning Board meetings and introducing himself to residents and local officials.
“Everyone has been very welcoming to me at every level,” he said. “They’ve been so courteous and made me feel like I’m part of the town and definitely welcome.”
But it’s a bit of a culture shock for Sexton, who was born and bred in Louisville, Ky. He’s only been in the Boston area for about 18 months, moving here last June after his partner got a job at Northeastern.
“There are a lot of differences,” he said, with a laugh. “It’s more fast paced, there’s definitely a different speed from the South, but I’ll adjust. There are pros and cons for sure, but people here have been really nice.”
Getting to Winchester
Sexton had been working at a 40B consulting firm in Wellesley for a year before seeing the assistant planner job advertised.
Chapter 40B is a state statute, which enables local Zoning Boards of Appeals to approve affordable housing developments under flexible rules if at least 20-25% of the units have long-term affordability restrictions.
“I was wanting to get back to government,” Sexton said. “I was looking at a lot of communities when I saw the job. There were a lot of duties I felt like I could meet and when I read through the site, I was intrigued.”
Sexton applied for the job in June and then met with Winchester Planner Taylor Herman.
“I met Taylor early on and he was great,” Sexton said. “We just connected on experience and the job. We saw eye-to-eye on a lot of things in planning.”
From there, it was a relatively short time before he got the job.
“It’s like trial by fire,” he said, of his first week. “But that’s how I learned in my previous position. Hands on is the best way to learn.”
Sexton has toured the town, getting the lay of the land. He said it’s been interesting for him to see how smaller communities like Winchester are so independent, with their own goals and uniqueness.
“It’s so cool and very surprising,” he said. “And there are so many community members who are involved and they research subject matters. So many people in town are very educated on the subject of the town. There’s a real sense of community and people are willing to work for the town. It’s something I admire.”
Experience in the field
Wandering into the Planning Office in Town Hall, you may mistake Sexton for a college intern. But rest assured, the 25-year-old has had a lot of experience when it comes to planning.
“I am experienced in both the public and private sectors,” he said, with a laugh. “I’ve worked in two very different communities and in two different regions of the country so I’ve seen a lot and done a lot of different things.”
Sexton added there are many similar issues facing communities, whether it’s Louisville, Boston or even Winchester. And, he said, there are many different approaches to solving some of those issues.
“In Boston, the emphasis is on supply and the efforts in creating affordable housing,” he said. “It’s more ambitious here. It’s still a work in progress in Louisville.”
Sexton said he got into the field of community planning as a teenager, when he started seeing how his hometown fit together on his walks to and from school. He said seeing how small ideas transformed the way residents live really interested him to the point where he pursued the topic in college.
“Wanting to create communities on a scale of people…that can pull me down a rabbit hole,” he said.
Sexton eventually graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Louisville. He followed it up with a Masters degree in political science with an urban planning focus.
“I’m a Cardinal through and through,” he said, of his alma mater.
Sexton said other people may find planning and zoning boring, but to him there’s nothing more fascinating.
“Delving into the history of a place, learning its context, I find that interesting,” he said. “I find it interesting to connect that history to the land use of today.
“I’m a person who is always interested in learning from the community and their experiences, finding out their concerns on how they want the future of their town to look,” Sexton added. “In my experience, it’s great to foster discourse and discussion because it’s the best way to see eye-to-eye on things.”
Sexton called himself “an open book” when it comes to the process of learning.
“I’m here to listen,” he said. “I see from meeting people that they are very well versed on the issues and they do their homework. That’s what makes these types of discussions much better.”
Now a Somerville resident, Sexton admitted he does miss being home in Louisville, but he’s enjoying Boston and his new job in Winchester.
“Sometimes when you live somewhere for a long time, it’s nice to be in a new environment,” he said. “It’s been a real change of pace and it’s something I needed. Right now, I’m just very excited to be here.”
