SKOWHEGAN — For the last three decades, Jeff Hewett says he has never been bored at his job.

“It’s always been interesting,” said Hewett, Skowhegan’s director of economic and community development. “It’s always been a fast-moving target. In other words, you just never know what you’re going to work on that day. You can plan all you want, but the minute you walk through the door and that phone rings, and something’s wrong here and something’s wrong there, we’re off and running.”

But after 34 years working for the town, Hewett, 66, is calling it quits, leaving a job that has given him a front row seat to the ups and downs in the region’s economy.

Much falls under the purview of Hewett’s office, made clear by his cluttered desk — which he refused to let a reporter photograph during a recent interview.

His position technically falls under two umbrellas, the town itself and the Skowhegan Economic Development Corp., a quasi-municipal nonprofit development agency, though the two are often intertwined.

As director of economic development, Hewett oversaw two industrial parks and a building downtown. He administered grants for businesses and homeowners. He managed the town’s GIS (Geographic Information Systems) mapping system.

He was the point person among businesses and municipal officials regarding tax increment financing, or TIF, agreements, a development tax incentive and property valuation sheltering tool.

And he was also in charge of the municipal building at 225 Water St., overseeing everything from renovations to contracts for supplies and information technology systems.

“It’s going to be hard to replace him,” said Paul York, the chairman of the Board of Selectmen. “He knows the town. Now, we’ve got to try to get someone up to speed on the things that are happening.”

Hewett knows the area well: He grew up in Skowhegan in a family of dairy farmers, who owned farms on Notch Road and Eaton Mountain Road.

After graduating high school in 1976, Hewett studied agricultural business at the University of Maine in Orono, though he finished the last year of his degree at the university’s campus in Augusta, having returned home to the farm after his father died.

“Farming is a great way of living, as long as you want to do it seven days a week, 24 hours a day,” Hewett said. “And I decided that wasn’t quite what I wanted to do.”

Hewett’s family ultimately decided to close down the farm, and he went on to run a real estate office in Canaan for six or seven years. In 1990, he was hired by the town of Skowhegan as its community development director to oversee housing programs.

The job quickly grew when he was asked to also oversee the Skowhegan Economic Development Corp., a nonprofit established in 1963.

SEDC has tackled various projects during Hewett’s time. According to his records, the corporation has brought more than $6.6 million in grants and bonds to Skowhegan for economic development projects since 1976.

“We’ve tried to be open to different projects, and sometimes that takes us in very unique directions,” Hewett said.

Some projects have been successful, Hewett said, like in 1999 when SEDC worked with Central Maine Power Co. to build a 10,000-square-foot, $550,000 building in the Northgate Industrial Park to keep the utility from moving its base to Farmington.

Others, not so much, Hewett said. At one point, in response to retail vacancies, SEDC set up a store that sold merchandise from dozens of local vendors. It only lasted about two years.

A willingness to be flexible in trying new things to support businesses and residents, though, is key to Skowhegan’s economic future, Hewett said.

“I think Skowhegan’s got a good, strong future,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of strong infrastructure in the area. I think we’re running through some rough patches right now. We’ve had a lot of projects going, and I think there’s a lot of good coming out of those projects. But I think Skowhegan has to try to be flexible in how they’re looking at the future.”

As an example, Hewett cited Consolidated Communications’ recent completion of broadband internet infrastructure in the area. The project was a longtime coming, but officials need to keep their eyes on the future to keep up with changes in technology and the global economy, he said. It is not uncommon now for someone living in Skowhegan to work remotely for a company based in Boston or another major city.

“They’re coming here because they want to leave the city, or they want some land or something,” Hewett said. “But, you know, their job skills are maybe totally different than what is needed right at the moment here. But they can work anywhere in the world.”

Hewett has noted other changes in Skowhegan. The larger-scale farms of his youth have been sold and replaced by smaller-scale or hobby operations. The Sappi paper mill, though still a major employer, represents a smaller portion of the tax base than it once did, while other businesses have diversified the economy, he said.

Outside groups are also much more involved in town affairs, compared to 34 years ago, Hewett said.

“There’s always been a core group of involved people,” Hewett said. “But you definitely have seen a lot stronger citizen involvement with the creation of the Main Street program and all the other different groups that are out there in Skowhegan.”

Kristina Cannon, president and CEO of the economic revitalization nonprofit Main Street Skowhegan, said her group and Hewett’s office collaborated frequently, but they also separated responsibilities well.

“He was a great partner in all of this economic development work that has been underway in Skowhegan,” Cannon said. “He was always super willing to help with anything.”

Some who worked with Hewett within town government also praised his friendliness and willingness to lend a hand.

“Even as a new chief here, he was immediately there to help me,” said police Chief David Bucknam, who was also interim town manager from the fall of 2023 to this spring.

Hewett, meanwhile, in his final days at the municipal building, has been working to set up his successor to take over the economic and community development office.

As for his retirement plans, Hewett said he has not given it any thought. He just hasn’t had the time.

His wife, Joanne, died in July after battling cancer. His 23-year-old son Shawn, adopted from Russia when he was 2, lives in the area.

Hewett said he enjoys working outside, whether on his property in Skowhegan or on local trails. In the winter months, though, he said he could see himself fleeing Maine’s cold temperatures for somewhere with a warmer climate.

His last day was officially Friday, but with the town office closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving, Wednesday was Hewett’s last day of work.

“The day after Thanksgiving,” Hewett said, “I have to sit down and really think about it.”

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