Esther Ngotho: Beverly Mayor Candidate Profile

BEVERLY, MA — Dr. Esther Ngotho is looking to bring her life experience as an immigrant and her professional experience in public health and teaching to the top office in Beverly as the city's next mayor.

Then 57-year-old mother and grandmother spent 10 years as a teacher and an additional 18 years in nursing. She was a founding member of the Beverly Human Rights Committee and said her goals will be to successfully oversee the city's pandemic recovery, improve racial disparities in the city, address the lack of housing and aggressively tackle the climate challenges facing the coastal community.

Ngotho is challenging incumbent mayor Mike Cahill

The general election is on Nov. 2.

Campaign website

estherforbeverly.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am uniquely qualified to deal with COVID pandemic, race epidemic, the housing crisis and global warming.

The single most pressing issue facing Beverly is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

COVID-19. (I intend to) lead mitigation, prevention, preparation, response and recovery efforts.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am an immigrant, Black, woman so I have a sixth sense naturally. I am a mother and a grandmother. I am fresh, unadulterated by internal allegiances, highly skilled in public health and emergency and disaster management, and a (registered nursing), housing and anti-poverty advocate.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

In accountability and transparency.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

Reminders and warnings were consistently issued, which was good. Access to vaccination was not made easier, education about COVID was lacking.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Empowering vulnerable people, tackling the housing crisis and building and sustaining environmental resiliency.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My successful immigration story. I testified in the creation of HRC and served in it from its inception in 2016 until last year. I successfully advocated for race to become a public health issue in Beverly. I envisaged the office of Diversity, Inclusion & Equity.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

To change and grow, risks must be taken. Never lose hope, it's fatal!

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

My story is like theirs — a patchwork of different experiences and achievements.

(Scott Souza is a Patch Field Editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)