Asked On Social Media

1. Americans are currently more skeptic(al) of making “executive business experience” a pre-requisite for political office, than ever, in the wake of Donald Trump. How is your experience going to directly impact your job on Select Board? In what ways would someone without that experience struggle to match your efficiency?

1) IMO, Donald Trump’s “executive experience” was actually more akin to “small business management” experience and bullying tactics. If you look at his style and business history objectively, while Trump might have been making decisions affecting thousands of employees and billions of dollars, he essentially surrounded himself with a small family and “yes men and women” and didn’t appear to delegate important decision-making (a learned skill which requires confidence in one’s team and the system in which the work is being done). He seemed to “manage by fiat.”

My experience, and education, has taught me that I should never be the smartest person in the room. I can, and have, led teams of people much smarter and more technically capable than me, and I can share an elaborate example of this at some point (not appropriate for a FB reply – WAY too long!). Basically, effective “executive” experience in my mind is a combination of listening and learning from experts and affected constituents, understanding the context under which a decision is being made, and then making and ultimately owning a decision (as an individual or as a part of a decision-making board).Great leaders exhibit vulnerability because they don’t let their egos, ignorance, or personal agendas get in the way of learning from others and serving their constituents with integrity. I strive to be/do that, but I’m a work in progress and will let the community decide based on my track record if “that’s me.”

2. You gave a very elaborate and detailed outline of your connections to the community, which is appreciated. But in your ad you don’t mention a single policy for which you, from this position, would advocate, if elected. My question is, for what policies would you see yourself advocating if elected? Can you give us an idea what your decision making will be influenced by, with respect to policy litigations, or town budgeting?

I hope my previous answer addressed the latter part of your 2nd question. In terms of specific policies, it will depend on what’s in front of the Board at that time.

Using some history as an example, I will say I was a strong advocate for, and co-chaired the committee that worked with the School Committee and Superintendent, consolidating the Facilities Management dep’t in 2012/3 (we can save the discussion on what, IMO, was poor implementation of a good idea for another day). However, to address your question, achieving that monumental step, which required great collaboration with peers on the School Committee and Select Board, both Superintendent and Town Administrator, the separate unions, the school principals and municipal department building managers directly affected, the public using the buildings, etc. required extensive outreach and research (we interviewed experts from other communities and large commercial campus facilities management experts).

I refer to “relationships” as an asset b/c you can get more done, and more quickly, when you can get “right to work” and don’t have to lay the groundwork for trust. Some might cynically see this as being fraught with risk or potential cronyism and politicians potentially being “bought” or biased. I have not been, nor will I be, influenced by special interest bias (this is volunteer service and not a political stepping stone for me).

The decisions I have made, and will make ALL have been/will be guided by a principle which I established at the beginning of my political volunteerism: I am working for a Natick that will become a place where our children will be able to return, afford a house, educate their children in the best schools, and live and work sustainably to support their families.

My candidacy is supported by people who are clearly political polar opposites to each other, indeed all across the political spectrum. I’ve even got commitments form neighbors who don’t particularly like each other agreeing to put my yard signs up! These are small examples that my hard work and objective leadership over the past 13 years have been well-received by the community. I still have a lot of people that will disagree with my perspectives and decisions but will still vote for me because they trust that I’ve heard – and understood and considered – their concerns. This country needs more of that, and it starts at the local level!

Specific to 2021, the next Select Board will hire the Town’s next Town Administrator. They will need to understand the history, the current context in which they’ll be operating, and will need to be introduced quickly to many constituents in the community. My relationships and track record of trustworthiness and objectivity, and in various business leadership roles, will help that process substantially, and, in part, that’s what motivated me to run at this time.

3a. Natick has been shockingly slow in approving recreational marijuana dispensaries and as a result has lost valuable revenue to nearby towns that have moved much more expeditiously like Framingham. Not to mention the inconvenience for residents who would prefer to shop for weed locally. I’d be very interested to hear what the Select Board candidates think about this issue.

Based on what I’ve read and heard, the Cloverleaf location seems like a reasonable first location.

The “thorough” answer to your question requires a bit of context, and some historical perspective. IMO, when the voters supported the legalization, the State was woefully unprepared to support local government’s implementation. I was “pro” legalizing it, but not at that time b/c I knew of the structural flaws (“thin plan,” to be kind) behind it.

That said, the “pro” vote created a cascading effect on how Natick rolled out medicinal licenses and why the Town was cautious about the recreational locations. It’s important to note that some SUBSTANTIAL contributors to our tax revenue, abutting businesses, were weighing in aggressively about their desire to NOT have recreational marijuana locate in certain areas. Doing so might have risked significant new developments like ABI-LAB2, the life sciences incubator behind Christmas tree Shops. Retaining these types of business is in the long-term interest of Natick residential tax payers b/c they will continue to drive up local income from commercial sources while simultaneously attracting and developing opportunities for STEM workers making healthy, livable wages; we ALL benefit from this. This is also an important consideration as we look at the inevitable contraction of the Retail and Services sectors post-pandemic.

I also agree with Rick Jennet’s quote in this article, Natick is not in this for a money grab; although, IMO, we do have a history of unnecessarily slowing down (or disregarding) some revenue opportunities other than residential taxes. Route 9 is a logical commercial area for this type of use, but, like anything zoning related, the impacts on abutters MUST be weighed, too. What is “too much time” to some is “not being heard” by others. It’s easy to feel victimized or frustrated, but these are complex decisions made by our volunteers serving in these roles. What is seen as “dragging of feet” is often an unseen, challenging series of constituency meetings, staff and volunteer Board meetings, and state legislative delegation meetings. Getting it “right” supersedes getting it “now.” That said, Natick has also suffered from some notoriously unproductive, and ‘glacially paced,’ changes over the years. This is why I’m running now; and this is why experience and context will matter to our next Town Administrator.

As an aside, Framingham is a City and form of government is a critical factor when understanding how/how quickly things can get done. I believe Natick needs to consider a new form of gov’t and this is one reason I’m running. Not necessarily a city, but even something like Franklin, MA which has a strong Town Manager (not “Administrator”) and council. Our lack of agility and unnecessarily complex processes do steer prospective businesses of all kinds away from Natick at times (however, we also have A LOT of advantages that make putting up with those annoyances worthwhile from an ROI perspective).

3b. Following up on your last point (which I think is a good one), how would you see that process working? Do you support the current proposal that the SB has been debating the last few months to create a Government Study Committee or would you support going directly to a Charter Commission (or some other process)?

I think Charter Commission is the ultimate process, and I respect the current line of thinking that a Government Study Committee might help educate the community about (a) what’s working or not under our current structure and (b) pros and cons about alternative forms of government.

My concern is that we should have studied this a while ago, so time is of the essence! I’ve wanted to do so as of my last year on the Board in 2013, but there wasn’t an appetite to do so then; my “cautionary tale” is to look at how far communities like Marlborough have progressed in the last decade and what have been some of the opportunity costs to Natick due to the constraints of our current system.

For me, the committee step is a valuable one, but shouldn’t be delayed and should be charged with a fairly aggressive timeline to conduct research, analysis, and presentation to the community.

3c. It is always frustrating to me when people identify the Cloverleaf Mall location as “not near” daycares, schools, or residential neighborhoods. There is a Bright Horizons Daycare located at 313 Speen St. , directly across from the proposed location. There is access to a single family neighborhood directly next to what will soon be the old fire station, which is very near this proposed location. Young people walk to the mall (however dangerous it is) all the time from these neighborhoods. I understand that this area is considered commercial, but it’s not accurate or fair to say that there are not significant concerns from neighbors or from the businesses that are already in this location. Maybe we could work on making this area more pedestrian friendly and safer for the residents who do live here?

I agree. In fact, ALL of Natick is essentially either abutting or a “pass through” to Rtes 90, 9, and 95 for many. Zoning, traffic flow, safety, etc. are (and should be) of concern to everyone. Much like elections (see what I did there?) until something directly affects us or something we care about, most of us live with it blindly or acceptingly.

Two major issues that have been spawned from this discussion are (1) Route 9 is a challenge because inevitably, there will abutters to commercial zones (unless, through ‘takings’ we create imposed buffer zones) and (2) Natick needs commercial entities to offset our increasing needs for Town revenue to pay for town services and schools.

The Town of Natick in collaboration with the City of Framingham spent $100k to study and envision, with implementation-level recommendations, the “Golden Triangle” a few years ago. To my knowledge, neither community voted to accept it and begin implementation; though, I also know our CED and others do regard its input when talking to prospective developers and businesses.

That said, it’s an example of what was a great, visionary study that lacked proper municipal adoption and ACTION to being these types of steps into the 21st century. Route 9 IS transforming, whether we take action or not. It will either become further blighted and neglected and a desolate speedway in the extreme, or it could look like a smaller versions of Burlington, Kendall Square, or Chestnut Hill if we manage it properly. And YES, that include “impact analysis” to ensure abutters’ and others’ concerns are considered thoughtfully.

WE MUST regard Route 9 as OPPORTUNITY zones, for the whole spectrum of housing (including “Affordable,” and ACTUALLY affordable, and “luxury,” and commercial/industrial uses that are suited to sustain the “destination retail” and “experience-based” retail and services that will always be counter to the trend/risk of moving online. The ability to move the needle on these issues requires an intimate and trusting relationship with property owners, developers, and businesses. It takes a sustained effort to establish and continually work on these relationships.

I’ll stop here before free falling into the “economic development” rabbit hole! But, I will summarize that until, and unless, we take a holistic view of this Town, its planning and budgeting, all we’re doing is putting grease on the hamster wheel we’re riding. In case anyone’s interested, the planning team’s website is here: https://courbanize.com/projects/golden-triangle/information and the final report is HERE.

3d. What is anyone actually doing about the Golden Triangle? I have been hearing about “improvements” since 2008. I had hoped by more for now. Why are we packing so much inland into Cloverleaf while there are huge vacancies on Route 9 proper? Our chances of making it nice like Chestnut Hill lessen when we all that is happening is that cheap/discount stores are moving in — what brand is going to want to be next to that? I wonder how long Ethan Allen stays there.

I hope you take the time to review the links I posted (and if you participated in any of the multiple community outreach sessions for that, then thank you for your time and input). Also, there are vacancies on the EDC and the Planning Board races have been uncontested for the last few years, so ample opportunities for you/others to have more say in the process. Also, I’m not a property owner or developer, so I can’t speak to particular tenants or the vitality of specific brands/concepts.

A few examples of what I regard as great news amid the accelerated decline of the retail sector:

a) Mathworks redeveloped a dated commercial property into a state of the art campus for a 21st century employer;

b) DHG has spent millions of dollars updated their Hampton and Verve concepts AND took on investing in Skybokx 109 when other restauranteurs weren’t taking chances after the previous economy collapse;

c) ALDI has now put walkable grocery next to dense multi-tenant housing (and notably with easy access to the rail trail;

d) Sam’s Club is FINALLY gone (and don’t get me started bout the missed opportunities for developing that parcel LONG before the new hotel and senior living); and,

e) when you see investments (like across Route 9) into new, vibrant sectors like Life Sciences, that’s a good barometer for future success.

IMO replacing a gym with a popular grocery store and Total Wine is a regional draw, so that is progress by some measures. Finally, with companies like Niemann Marcus, Nordstrom, and Tesla making regional first decisions into Natick, these are all good signs…now the reality check…many of those brands aren’t surviving.

So diversification, multi-use zoning, and the community will to finally invest in rezoning and empowering our CED with resources to move more quickly, then we might see some progress.

Your concerns are reasons why I am running for Select Board on a platform that includes a holistic approach to planning and budgeting and also why it’s important to consider a new form of municipal government. Marlborough, with a mayor and EDC funded by almost $1MM annually from local options taxes is a great model. I don’t thin Natick has appropriated more than $50k toward its EDC since the local options taxes were adopted 10 years ago. The community needs to realize that if we want our all-star staff members to perform, they need the tools, resources, and community support. And, if we do choose to make those wise investments, then the funding for other priorities which some might consider more important than Cloverleaf’s retail mix (SEL in our schools, affordable housing projects, accepting and fixing every mile of roadway in Natick, widening our roads for safer and better bike/ped traffic, a.k.a. “Smart Streets,” net-zero carbon by 2050, etc.) all must be weighed.

What is your background and what qualifies you for a position on the Select Board?

I’ve been politically active in Natick for more than 13 years. An extensive overview of my experience can be found on my website (onenatick.com); however, some highlights include:

• Natick Select Board member from 2010-2013, chair of the Economic Development Committee (EDC) for 6 years, and Town Meeting member for almost 10 years;

• More than 30 years of business experience, spanning start-ups to Fortune 100 companies. I’ve started or co-founded three business, served on several non-profit boards, and worked as the CEO of the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce from 2015-2019;

• Extensive experience supervising people, including hiring, firing, disciplining and developing; managing high performing teams; and, serving on executive task forces during two major corporate mergers, consolidating different corporate cultures into unified teams;

• Business strategy consultant and teacher, including adjunct faculty at Babson, WPI, and in several Executive Education programs. I’ve used simulations to provide experiential education and coaching to business leaders, including international audiences in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

• Recipient of the Foundation for MetroWest’s “2017 Civic Leader of the Year” award.


My platform is focused on four priorities, including:

1) Hiring Natick’s next Town Administrator;

2) Navigating the impacts of a post-pandemic economy on Town revenue and operations, especially municipal services and school budgets;

3) More effectively incorporating community feedback into policy decisions, operations, and volunteer appointments; and,

4) Examining Natick’s governance model and operating norms and their impacts on the Town’s ability to grow and operate more effectively and equitably.


I became politically active in late 2007, when Natick Public Schools proposed closing Johnson Elementary School to close an anticipated gap in the Town’s FY2009 budget. My interest in one issue sparked curiosity about “why” did things get to that point, “how” does local government work, and “what” can I do about it? I went from volunteering on the 2018 YES for Natick Operating Override initiative to serving extensively in various local government and non-profit roles.

My wife of 23 years, Magdalena (“Lena”) and I moved to Natick in 1995 to attend graduate school. After a brief move to Austin, TX for my job, we bought our first home in Natick in 2002 where we’ve raised our two children. Now aged 20 and 18 years old, our children benefitted substantially from Natick’s public schools, local athletics programs and community resources. Most valuable have been the relationships with our Natick neighbors and our “village,” the lifelong friends we’ve made as fellow parents and community members.

How can Natick further support existing businesses and encourage new ones to come into Natick?

Natick must:

(1) Update and simplify its zoning bylaws and hearing processes;

(2) Invest more heavily in economic development, ideally earmarking budget from local options taxes and creating a economic development corporation as a non-profit, public-private partnership with the Town; and,

(3) Create and implement a robust business retention and expansion (BRE) action plan in collaboration with local businesses, commercial property owners, the Natick Mall, Natick Soldiers Systems Center, and various Town constituencies, including the Natick Public Schools.

These efforts should leverage the extensive work already completed, including: the Natick 2030 Master Plan, the Natick Public Schools 5-Year Strategic Plan, the Natick Center Strategic Plan, the “Golden Triangle” Study, and the 2050 Net-Zero Action Plan, to name a few. These should inform a unified “revenue generation” plan that spans the municipal services and school department budgets and defines measurable and time-bound objectives for growing our commercial tax base.

Throughout the pandemic, our Community and Economic Development (CED) Department, Board of Health, and key community partners, notably the Natick Center Cultural District, have done a great job educating businesses about changing guidance from the Federal and State agencies, conducting inspections, promoting grant and loan programs, and serving as vital resources to our struggling businesses. The CED also effectively partnered with the EDC and outside vendors to launch new a website and online resources to “hook” prospective new businesses during their site-selection processes.

Further, we’ve become more agile and flexible, allowing some short-term changes to zoning and permitted uses of space – curbside pick-up, sidewalk dining, etc. We “must not waste a good crisis” and make sure that some of these improvements don’t get lost when we return to our new normal! Let’s learn from these “exceptions” and permanently adopt those practices that will accelerate our economic recovery and enhance our quality of life!

How should Natick manage the financial implications of the pandemic going forward?

Effective planning must take both a longer-term and “singular” view of our revenue and operations – we must get away from the parallel processes undertaken annually by the school department and municipal services “sides” which then subsequently try to reconcile gaps through often heated, “zero sum” negotiations. Our taxpayers are better served when we focus more on growing the pie together and less on fighting over the slices.

Natick must employ more sophisticated, and multi-year, scenario planning, working from a unified accounting/IT system, and through a process predicated on the effective and respectful collaboration between the town’s two “chief executives, the Town Administrator and Superintendent, their department heads, and the major policy boards.

We need to leverage Natick’s strong bond rating and reserves by focusing our budget with “the end in mind” – big picture thinking about what the community wants from its schools and municipal services in the next several years, not just one year at-a-time, and establishing the goals, and metrics, that will take us there. On the operations side, we should establish metrics such as “service level agreements” (SLAs), “quality of service” (QOS), etc. while potentially sharing services across departments. This approach will help each “side” take baby steps toward a more unified, transparent, and value-oriented budgeting process.

If we continue to build budgets with an “incremental” or “level services” mindset, compounded by our parallel planning and budgeting processes, Natick will rapidly fall behind other communities with more agile systems and governance already in place.

How can Natick best continue to act on the concerns of its residents of diverse backgrounds?

The Select Board can be most impactful by addressing systemic issues that adversely affect residents (and non-resident business owners, visitors, and prospective community members) of diverse backgrounds. Some examples include:

1) Natick’s (lack of) affordability;

2) Limited access to resources for businesses owned by underrepresented community members; and,

3) Overcoming ignorance and inertia.

Unfortunately, achieving equity and justice in a predominantly white, affluent community has historically been a vague, aspirational goal but in practice and policymaking it’s a long overdue priority.

Natick currently has several organizations striving to identify and act on BIPOC community concerns, including the new, Select Board-appointed Equity Task Force.

I have asked prominent members of these organizations questions like: “What has already been achieved?” and “What more needs to be done?” Interestingly, I’ve heard candid comments that can best be described as a muted cynicism, such as “Natick is trying” or “…has its heart in the right place.” Responses like these shine a brighter spotlight on how privilege allows us to, on the one hand, feel like we’re making progress, but on the other, hand, ironically reinforce systemic racism by merely appearing to address it.

The Select Board and its members must strive to deliberate and define policies and practices that continuously move Natick towards a more just and equitable community. Examples of specific actions include:

1) Incorporating diversity and equity goals recommended by the Equity Task Force and other community constituents into various policies and practices. For example, (a) including diversity training and objectives into the Town Administrator’s performance review and the Select Board’s annual goals, or (b) charging the Economic Development Committee with identifying and recommending best practices to attract and retain businesses owned by BIPOC or other underrepresented community members;

2) Hosting a summit with members of the Housing Authority, Planning Board, professional staff and community organizations (e.g., Family Promise of MetroWest, SMOC, the Natick Service Council, etc.) to identity constraints in the current zoning bylaws and to pursue incentives (e.g., tax credits, grants, etc.) to increase Natick’s stock of affordable (low income) housing;

3) Promoting civic engagement focused on equity, by participating in local and regional events hosted by the above mentioned groups or attending workshops hosted by organizations like the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) or the Society for Human Resources Managers (SHRM); or,

4) Changing the Equity “Task Force” into a standing “Committee.” The name “Task Force” implies the group will be highly focused for a short-period of time and then disbanded. I would hope, and expect, this work will yield a recommendation to establish the group as a long-term, advisory committee to the entire community, serving the Select Board, School Committee, Planning Board, and Town Meeting, among others.

Is there anything else you would like to say that the above questions did not cover?

Most of the urgent work Natick needs to undertake will require successful hiring and onboarding of a Town Administrator, holding the Select Board and its members accountable for re-establishing and overseeing an effective collaboration between the Town Administrator and the Superintendent, and navigating the economic uncertainty of the post-pandemic economy.

Natick residents are rightly concerned about balancing affordability with investing in our schools and vital municipal services. I offer the experience, domain knowledge, and a track record of effective collaboration and decisiveness required to succeed from Day One.


Question Set: Week of February 15th
Natick recently formed an Equity Taskforce and the Town is currently working to develop a Racial Equity Municipal Action Plan. What role do you think the Natick Select Board plays in local conversations about social justice?

It is vital that the Select Board, which serves as Natick’s face and voice, leads by example while pursuing social justice. Unfortunately, achieving equity and justice in a predominantly white, affluent community has historically been a vague, aspirational goal but in practice and policymaking it’s a long overdue priority.

By creating the Equity Taskforce the Select Board wields substantial influence over ensuring that the municipal government employs equitable standards and practices. At minimum, the Board is accountable to the community for setting, and measuring the performance of, goals from the Action Plan.

More broadly, as fellow citizens, Board members must commit to “doing the work” for themselves, with their families and neighbors, and in the various roles they play as high-profile volunteers.

As a Select Board Member, how will you personally reach out to and work with BIPOC, the LGBTQIA community and other minority groups in Natick?

Board members must strive to balance their work as individuals with that as part of a team. Over my 13+ years of experience serving as a community leader, https://onenatick.com/experience/, notably as selectman and on related subcommittees, I have:

• Worked with and sought guidance from indigenous peoples subsequent to Natick changing its school mascot;

• Served on committees supporting LGBTQIA youth (liaising with WAGLY/ OUT MetroWest). As Chamber president, worked with Rep. Jack Lewis and initiated connecting youth with LGBTQIA professional networks among local employers;

• Volunteered as speaker and facilitator for Framingham State University programs serving immigrant and BIPOC students, working with their Chief Officer of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement and Career Services office;

• Collaborated with individual members of Natick Is United in their professional roles while serving as Chamber president, selectman, and community volunteer.

As the proud younger brother of a gay man and with endorsements from members of each of these communities, I am committed and eager to work with everyone as we strive for “one Natick.”

Fun fact: What is your favorite DPW vehicle?

I’ve gotta go with “the claw” – the recycling truck!

Question Set: Week of February 1st
In her last presentation to Town Meeting, Natick’s previous Town Administrator shared a bleak financial forecast for the Town if it continued recent spending trends. What is your perspective on the Town’s long term fiscal health and its ability to provide consistent or improved municipal services?

Natick is well-positioned to thrive with an embarrassment of riches to sustain its long-term fiscal health. The hard truth is that we suffer from a structural imbalance and systemic challenges affecting our annual budgeting process, notably: challenging working relationships, historical distrust, and occasional “going along to get along” by some leaders.

The “bleak… forecast” was as much about the economic uncertainty from the pandemic as “spending trends.” Natick’s fiscal health relies on both, somewhat predictable, and growing, revenue and “responsible” expense management. Spending is always within our control; whether it’s “responsible” is determined by taxpayers, staff, and leadership, through Town Meeting votes.

My campaign website is “onenatick.com” because I take a holistic perspective of Natick, including strategic planning and budgeting processes. We must promote better cross-functional management.

Would you vote to support putting an operational override on the ballot in Fall 2021? Why or why not?

I have a record supporting responsible overrides, including the 2008 operational override.

I also joined the “Revenue Enhancement Task Force” because I felt strongly that we cannot simply “tax our way out” of budget challenges.

Natick has exhibited a “level services” and “zero sum” budgeting mindset for too long, pitting schools vs. municipal services. This is short-sighted and the result of flawed processes.

It would be irresponsible of me to commit to a Fall 2021 decision now; more data and context must be considered at that time. When considering an override, I’ll weigh the significant cost/benefit factors and make a well-informed decision that’s in the long-term best interest of Natick and its taxpayers.

How will you – as a Select Board Member – work with your colleagues on the Board, the Town Administrator, the Superintendent of Schools, and the School Committee to develop a community-wide budget that supports the priorities of Natick residents?

This starts with hiring and working effectively with a Town Administrator. Next, setting clear and measurable goals, including results-oriented metrics and assessing collaboration effectiveness. Finally, rebuilding trust by establishing shared goal setting and decision-making across these constituencies; all are critical.

I have extensive experience leading such collaborations, including my last time serving on the Select Board.

Question Set: Week of January 18th
Who are you and why are you running?

My wife, Lena, and I have been Natick residents for 22 of the past 25 years; we lived in Austin, TX from 2000-2002. We are the proud parents of two former NPS students, now aged 20 and 18. My first-ever involvement in local politics stemmed from preventing the closure of their (Johnson) elementary school in 2008 when I was active with the leadership team that created “Yes For Natick!”

I’ve volunteered in many roles in Natick ever since, notably as a selectman (2010-2013) and chair of the Economic Development Committee (2009-2015). I’ve also worked as the CEO of the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce from 2015-2019.

I’m running for the Select Board now because I believe my extensive experience, local relationships, and clear vision for a better Natick can contribute substantially to the Board’s 2021+ priorities, including:

1) Hiring Natick’s next Town Administrator;

2) Navigating the impacts of a post-pandemic economy on Town revenue and operations, including municipal services and school budgets;

3) More effectively incorporating community feedback into policy decisions, operations, and volunteer appointments; and,

4) Examining Natick’s governance model and operating norms and their impacts on the Town’s ability to grow and operate more effectively and equitably.


What do you think the role of a Select Board member is and how do you plan to improve Natick in this capacity?

Section 3-2 of the Town Charter explicitly defines the role and duties of the Select Board, including limitations of its powers. Basically, the Board is Natick’s “chief executive office” with broad powers to create policy directives and guidelines “to bring all agencies of the town into harmony.”

There are major systemic challenges preventing “harmony” in many areas across Natick, including its governance, budgeting, operations, and community relations. My highest priority will be to advocate for the systemic and cultural changes required for Natick to “do more with less” and for the benefit of more people.


Fun fact: What’s your favorite Natick park or trail?

Coolidge (Field/ Hill/Woods (incl. Eisenmenger Trail).