Jackie's Process-Oriented Approach is What We Need: Letter

Melrose, it’s crunchtime! There’s a sense of inundation with all the letters flying around the newspapers and the internet, in favor of one candidate or another. I certainly enjoy and applaud the robust dialogue. We are blessed with a number of excellent mayoral candidates, many of whom are already strong, smart and compassionate leaders. But Jackie is the one who stands out to me, and I’m proud to share why.

I’ve known Jackie since I first chaired the Birth to Five committee seven years ago. At the time, as part of a group building a new community organization, I remember being struck by her ability to listen to all the viewpoints and interests at the table, and synthesize it in an organized, actionable way. She listens and connects, but then she helps you put your thoughts into action. I was new to community work at that time, and was deep in the weeds at home with three young children and all the exhaustion and brain fog that comes with that. With Jackie at the table, I felt encouraged and supported, and I know the committee was more effective.

In her leadership role in City Hall, I observed her throughout the override campaign last year, and again, I was impressed by her ability to bring different people together around our shared objective, and to create a safe space for people to share their thoughts, impressions and concerns. With Jackie, everyone is an insider, and everyone’s voice matters. And while she’s listening and connecting, she is also able to explain her perspective and share her vast knowledge, delivering powerful, salient nuggets of information in a clear, calm way. Jackie is passionate about educating all members of our community and empowering us all with knowledge, even our least visible and least powerful. As a former elementary school teacher, I believe that the management skills an educator develops in the classroom translate to all other fields. While she was never a schoolteacher herself, Jackie is a natural educator and people manager, and that’s what I want from my mayor.

We have a few other talented candidates in the race who were also supportive our efforts in the override campaign. But Jackie is the one who combed through our existing budget, pointing out where we would likely have to make cuts. She knows the budget inside and out, and is best positioned to hold our city accountable for the significant $5.18 investment we all just made. She is also most prepared to keep the community informed about where the money is going and what its impact is, and she is passionate about doing so.

Jackie is a bridge person, and we need more bridge people in positions of power at all levels of government. She believes in transparency, clear communication and a process-oriented approach, which, in some cases, has been sorely lacking in our community. Jackie knows how to bring people into the fold and build trust. She isn’t afraid to ask tough question, or to take an unpopular stance, as her principles run deep.

When asked about diversity at a forum hosted by the Melrose Dems in June, Jackie’s answer was my favorite. I’m sure I’ll misquote slightly, but the gist was this: if elected, I will represent all of Melrose, conservatives and liberals, old and new, those against the override and those for it. For these reasons and more, Jackie’s my girl!