Jacob Wessel

Public Realm Director, City of Boston

**Jacob Wessel** currently serves as the City of Boston’s Public Realm Director, working with the City’s Streets Cabinet on implementation of people-oriented interventions on streets and sidewalks. Jacob previously served as Director of City Hall to Go, a mobile City Hall program that visits Boston’s neighborhoods throughout the year. He also founded Open Newbury Street, a mile-long pedestrianization event series which attracts more than 50,000 attendees each summer. Jacob began his stint in Boston government as a neighborhood liaison in Mayor Walsh’s Office of Neighborhood Services, where he facilitated neighborhood outreach regarding City service delivery, zoning variances, licensing, permitting, and community benefits. A native of Los Angeles, Jacob previously worked as a Research Director for the Massachusetts Democratic Party and as a field organizer for Senator Ed Markey. He graduated with a degree in political science from Tufts University.