Jackie Lavender Bird: The Candidate With the Experience We Need

Jackie Lavender Bird is the only mayoral candidate with the leadership skills, experience, and vision to lead Melrose into the next decade. I enthusiastically encourage you to support her candidacy for mayor.

Let's face it: whether we admit it or not, there's often tension between the "old Melrose" and the "new Melrose." With the recently passed override, an influx of new residents, and continued development, Melrose is at a crossroads. Our next mayor must possess a deep understanding of the city, including where it's been and where it can go next. As someone who was born and raised in Melrose and returned to the city to raise a family, I strongly believe that Jackie is the best candidate to bridge the gap.

Our next mayor will need to have to have the knowledge, experience, communication skills, judgment, and institutional awareness to be able to leverage the community's tremendous strengths while ensuring that life-long residents are not left behind. Jackie possesses all of these qualities - and many more. Jackie has spent the last two decades solely focused on serving the people of Melrose, whether it be as an Alderman-at-Large, leading outreach for local non-profits focused on elderly and domestic violence prevention, or in her most recent role as the Director of Community Services and City Operations, and I know she will make a tremendous mayor.

Jackie's experience has given her an unmatched command of our city’s government, but also (and more importantly!) the knowledge of how to actually get things done. If you've lived here long enough, you have likely encountered Jackie. Chances are, you were impressed by her ability realistically assess a problem, and her ability to provide creative and compassionate solutions to resolve it. Jackie has the ideas and the energy that the job requires, and she has realistic plans to improve our community's commitment to the police and fire departments, support local businesses, strengthen our public schools, and ensure fiscal responsibility. Moreover, Jackie promises to be indefatigable in improving the connection between the residents and city government via more frequent, transparent, and direct communication.

I've closely evaluated the other candidates and consider some of them to be friends, but Jackie is the only candidate for mayor who possesses the necessary experience, communication skills, and knowledge that the job requires. No other candidate possesses Jackie's unique professional experience, having not only worked as an elected official but also as a leader within city government. No other candidate has been in the position of having to "do more with less" in important non-profit roles serving our community. And as an involved parent of children in the Melrose Public Schools and a former PTO President, I trust Jackie to ensure that override dollars are used wisely and to hold school administrators accountable for improved performance.

I enthusiastically support Jackie Lavender Bird for Mayor of Melrose and urge you to as well.