David Anspach is a man on a mission. As the Capital Project Manager for the City of Reading, his passion for transforming and rehabilitating the city’s infrastructure is evident in every word he speaks and every project he takes on. Anspach’s journey to this crucial role has been one of dedication, hard work, and a commitment to improving the community he calls home.
Born in Maryland but raised right outside Reading on Route 10, Anspach grew up with a deep connection to the city. “I grew up enjoying Angelica Lake, back when it was still a lake,” he reminisces. His drive to serve his community has roots in his early experiences and was further honed during his time in the Marine Corps. It was there that he first dabbled in infrastructure work, building critical facilities overseas as part of the civil affairs team. “We were rebuilding government centers, wastewater treatment plants, water treatment facilities,” he recalls.
Upon returning to the U.S., Anspach’s commitment to public service led him to a position with Reading’s wastewater treatment facility, where he quickly rose through the ranks to Plant Manager. His expertise in managing a $148 million upgrade to the facility caught the city’s attention. “The city saw that we were rather successful in doing that and tapped my talents to come over to the Capital Projects Department,” he explains. Now, nine years into his career with the city, Anspach is instrumental in overseeing the projects that shape Reading’s landscape.
The joy of building something tangible
Anspach describes himself as a “concrete person,” one who finds satisfaction in tangible achievements. “I like physical structures. I can’t play music; I can’t paint,” he admits. But what he can do is build, rebuild, and rehabilitate the city’s infrastructure. It’s this drive that keeps him going every day, despite the challenges that come with the territory. “I want to spend every day I can trying to rebuild or rehabilitate anything that’s deficient and bring functionality back to those locations for the citizens.”
The work of a Capital Project Manager involves a delicate balance of coordination, planning, and hands-on site inspection. “We take all of our projects from concept through dedication,” Anspach explains. His responsibilities range from coordinating contracts and engineering to overseeing site inspections and ensuring the projects are built to the city’s specifications. “It can be feast or famine some days,” he says, noting the cyclical nature of construction work. While winter is spent in planning phases, the summer is all about “shovels in the ground.”
Creating community through construction
What drives Anspach the most is seeing the community benefit from his work. He takes immense pride in the projects that have brought joy and functionality back to the city, from skateparks to playgrounds. “Making those facilities available and seeing citizens access them and enjoying them is the best feeling,” he shares.
One project, in particular, stands out for Anspach: the Lance Place Playground. Originally, he envisioned the small, neglected lot being turned into a parking area, believing it would better serve the community. But then-Managing Director Frank Denbowski, with his Parks & Rec background, pushed Anspach to reconsider. “He said, absolutely not, you will find a way to fix that playground and give it back to the community,” Anspach recalls.
With a quick sketch and a resourceful mindset, Anspach and his team transformed the space using relocated equipment and added swings and shade trees. The result? Not just a revitalized playground but a revitalized community. “When we do a little project like that, it becomes a step up for the community,” he says proudly. Seeing neighbors start to improve their homes and surroundings in response to the playground’s transformation cemented his belief in the power of community projects.
Rolling with the punches: Lessons in project management
Anspach’s job is far from smooth sailing. As he puts it, “The Project Management field is largely about rolling through the punches.” Challenges are a daily occurrence, from last-minute malfunctions to unforeseen complications. But for Anspach, every problem is simply “something that hasn’t found a resolution yet.”
He recalls a particularly tense moment before the dedication ceremony for Centre Park, where the fountain, a key feature of the event, stopped working. “We had to immediately troubleshoot the problem,” he says. With quick thinking and teamwork, they fixed the issue, but such challenges underscore the resilience required in his role. “problems and complications can happen, but by working together with public works and other support, we come together and find a resolution. It’s always forward progress.”
Eyes on the future
Anspach has no grand plans beyond his current work, but that doesn’t mean he’s not thinking ahead. His department is expanding, adding a new Project Coordinator to better serve the city’s growing needs. Personally, he’s still driven by the need to prove himself. “I wasn’t the one the mayor selected for this position initially,” he reveals. “Because I wasn’t that first choice, I spend every day trying to make it very apparent that I was the right choice from the beginning.”
His dedication to Reading is unwavering. “As long as the city will have me, I’ll continue to work for them,” he says with determination.
A call for change in perception
Outside of work, Anspach is an outdoor enthusiast, enjoying activities like kayaking, biking, and fishing with his wife. It’s this love of nature and the community that makes his work so meaningful. However, he wishes the public would see the city’s potential the way he does.
“I wish the public would allow the city an opportunity to prove that it isn’t what it once was and it can be much better,” he says. He’s aware of the negativity that sometimes follows city projects in the media and public comments, but he’s hopeful that perceptions will change. “I’ve been in the city every day, walking, going to projects, and I haven’t been shot, stabbed, or mugged,” he points out, emphasizing that there’s so much more to Reading than its stereotypes.
Through his dedication to his work and the community, David Anspach is not just building structures; he’s building a better future for Reading. And as he continues to pour his heart into every project, he hopes the city and its people will come to see the beauty and potential that he works so tirelessly to bring to life.