Natick Select Board Member Salamoff Won't Seek New Term

NATICK, MA — After 11 years as a Natick Select Board member over two different periods, Sue Salamoff won't seek reelection when her term ends in March 2022.

"In or out of office, I will continue to work on improving Natick's government, advance equity and be a voice for a better future," she said in recent remarks at a Select Board meeting announcing her departure.

Salamoff, 78, first joined the Select Board in 1981 and served until 1986. She got involved in town politics in the early 1970s as a member of the Natick League of Women Voters. She later helped rewrite Natick's charter in the early 1980s, which switched to governance by a three-member Select Board and a town administrator (the board returned to five members in the 1990s), among other changes.

She ran again in 2016, in part to advocate for seniors and to plan for a growing population of older residents in Natick. Between the two Select Board terms, Salamoff served as a volunteer in town government and as a Town Meeting member.

Salamoff said two items that stand out from her recent stint on the Select Board are senior issues, and helping the town decided to hire a chief diversity officer. She was also a supporter of building a new Kennedy Middle School, which just held a grand opening ceremony on Oct. 23.

"I'm proud of working on this board as a whole, because it's truly tackled a lot of challenging issues and moved things forward," she said, citing the response to the pandemic and the PFAS contamination problem as two recent challenges.

Salamoff said she'll stay active in local government. She'll still run for Town Meeting again, and is hoping to serve on a forthcoming commission that will study how town government can be made more efficient and transparent.

As far as a replacement, Salamoff didn't have anyone specific in mind, but said she hopes her replacement will focus on senior issues, education and diversity.

Only Salamoff and Richard Jennett's Select Board seats will be up for election in 2022. Three-year Natick Select Board terms are staggered with members Matthew Hickey and Karen Adelman-Foster up reelection next in March 2023.

Natick's spring 2022 election will feature a wide number of races, including Town Clerk, Town Moderator and three School Committee seats. Nomination papers for the election will be available beginning Dec. 1.