DeMaria Seeks Ward 3 School Committee Seat

[Editor's note: The following was submitted by Debbie DeMaria.]

It is with enthusiasm, commitment and experience that I announce my candidacy for Ward Three School Committee. Living in our fantastic ward for over 30 years with my husband Al, I have seen change in our neighborhood; diverse change. From my front door I am fortunate enough to know that my neighbors come from all over the world. Their traditions and culture have made our city what it is today.  

I live at 290 Clifton Street; I am married and a mother of three children. I was educated through the public school system and I work for Delta Air Lines. I have been challenged with the ever changing world of the airline industry for 32 years. I presently hold a position within Airport Customer Service and am proudly a Delta Board of Director for the Scholarship Fund.  

My life and that of my children, however, seems to have begun at the Glenwood School (which was then the neighborhood elementary school). I was very much involved there, introducing a recycling program where all the children saved their aluminum lunch trays and created “Leo” the 8-foot lion mascot! It was a great project and very innovative for that time. Libraries were formed, Earth Day was celebrated and the need to move forward with the ever changing population of our children enticed me to become the PTO President. In the early ‘90s, the eight elementary school PTO Presidents formed another group called City-Wide Parents’ Organization. That inclusive group of amazing men and women brought concerns, ideas and suggestions from each corner of the city to the School Committee, where we earned a non-voting seat at the table. This group was a fiscally responsible watchdog of the school budget. We also helped facilitate the creation of the new five magnet school project which exists today.  

Additionally, partnering with feedthechildren.org, I organized an 18-wheeler truck to come to Malden where the entire community got together to generously fill it with donated food for the children of America.  I am also proud of other events that I have hosted such as a Make-A-Wish event in the Logan International Airport hanger for over 300 attendees; complete with music, food, and a B737 airplane from the “North Pole.”  The Make-a-Wish program grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions and seeks to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.  
I was also responsible for a Habitat for Humanity build in Dorchester. This home was offered to a working resident that is able to pay their mortgage and also required them to continue the tradition by helping build yet another home with their “sweat equity.” I was also involved with the opening of the Fisher House Veteran’s Home in Jamaica Plain. This home is on the VFW hospital site and provides housing for those who live outside the area and are here visiting their sick or wounded family member back home from the war; simulating the Ronald McDonald Homes.  

If you visit the Malden High School Finn Gymnasium, please look up to the rafters. There you will see a banner boasting a first place championship for the MHS Cheerleaders. I proudly coached for four years and in 1993, 18 very talented ladies brought that victory banner to the school.

Some of my best memories within the Malden community, however, are shared with a group of women that I proudly call my friends—the Junior Aid Association of Malden. Through fundraising efforts, they continue to give back to the community by providing financial assistance to charitable organizations with a focus on women, children and health related issues.  

Because of my commitment to the city of Malden over the years and my hope for its future, I ask for your support. I will bring to the School Committee a resource of tradition and experience wrapped with enthusiastic motivation for the future. We must always remember that the basis of our success, whether within our family, community, or our faith, lies within the eyes of our children.    

Thank you for considering me your next Ward Three School Committee member.

Debbie DeMaria
Candidate for Ward Three School Committee