Jackie: The Right Choice for Melrose

As the owner of an 80+ person business, I spend a lot of time hiring people and discerning the right candidates to effectively fill important and complex jobs. I can’t help but see every election—whether at the city, state or national level—as an opportunity for us to collectively hire the right person for a given position. This year’s mayoral election is no different.

In more than a decade of living in Melrose, I have come to know most of this election’s candidates and have respect for all of them. They are good people with various skill sets, but to me Jackie Lavender Bird is the clear standout who—far and away—has all the qualifications we need for the job. The next mayor of Melrose needs to exhibit a unique combination of qualities and skills to truly be successful: aspirational vision and leadership, local and institutional knowledge, undeniable empathy, keen and fair management skills and a deep operational command of all the details.

Jackie scores an A+ on every one of these and is exactly the person we need in the role of mayor. She already knows our city departments inside and out, their strengths and—much more importantly—where there are opportunities for improvement. Jackie has managed and led multiple departments already with deft management skills.

When thinking about our complex $86MM budget, I am comforted that Jackie grasps not only the broad strokes but knows our budget and our city’s priorities right down to a granular level. In her recent role in City Hall, she was already closely involved in the budget and truly understands the interplay between departments, the city’s four enterprise funds and how to navigate difficult budget choices. As we enter the next phase of careful financial management and planning, there is no one I see as better equipped to lead that process on day one.

Beyond the job-specific hard skills, there is so much more to Jackie that will make her a great Mayor. I’m continually impressed by the way she interacts with people, genuinely listens to so many different viewpoints and synthesizes them into practical decisions that are right for the city. She draws from a long history in Melrose, having grown up here and returning to raise her children here. The result is an undying passion for guiding this city to be the best that it can be: a city that works for all the people of Melrose.

Please consider voting for Jackie on September 17th.

Nick Lowe

Ferdinand Street, Melrose