Melrose's First Woman Mayor Is So Much More: Video

MELROSE, MA — As we've learned in Melrose recently, timing is everything. That rings true for Melrose's newest mayor.

"The Patriots are undefeated in your tenure," State Rep. Paul Brodeur said, eliciting a hearty laugh from those who packed City Hall's Aldermanic Chambers Monday morning to see Gail Infurna sworn in. They had reason to smile: As of 7 a.m. Monday morning, Infurna was the first female mayor of Melrose.

After nearly two dozen men have served as mayor since the turn of last century, it's something to be celebrated. Infurna is succeeding Robert Dolan in a historic first "which brings perspective and a timing in the middle of a cultural shift that we are experiencing that couldn't be better," Congresswoman Katherine Clark said.

But, as Clark said, "Gail brings so much more than just her gender to this."

"She knows and cares about this city because she knows and cares about the people who live and work here," Clark said. "Everything that she does is done with integrity, with compassion, and with the backup data to make sure that she's making the correct decision."

Brodeur also recognized the obvious, but spared no expense speaking on Infurna's many qualifications.

"What we have in Mayor Infurna is an experienced and dedicated public official," he said. "You can't really name anything that has happened in the city last 25 years or so that doesn't have Gail's fingerprints on it."

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Infurna finished the ceremony with a short speech, thanking many, and looking forward to getting to work. She punctuated the speech (not seen below) with a "Let the work begin!"

Photo: State Senator Jason Lewis, State Representative Paul Brodeur, Mayor Gail Infurna, Congresswoman Katherine Clark, Former State Representative Larry Giordano

Photo, video by Mike Carraggi