Katie Phelan: Swampscott Select Board Candidate Profile

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Catherine (Katie) Phelan is running for one of two open seats on the Swampscott Select Board.

The 36-year-old mother of two is an in-house counsel for Global Partners of Waltham and is seeking her first municipal elected office. She is a Saint Anselm College graduate who earned her law degree at New England Law Boston in 2010.

She told Patch her primary focus on the Select Board will be the protection, preservation and acquisition of open space in town and wants to put Swampscott in a fiscal position to take advantage of any opportunities to create more recreational space in the town.

The annual Swampscott town election is on April 26.

Campaign website

Katie Phelan for Select Board

Why are you seeking elective office?

I have always had a civic-minded passion driving me in my pursuits and once I felt my career and family had stabilized I knew it was time to pick that passion back up.

The single most pressing issue facing our Board is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our board is the protection, preservation and acquisition of open space in town and I intend to make it my top priority to empower the Board and other committees and boards in town to identify open spaces that we can acquire and protect and to enhance our existing open spaces. We are not making any new open space. As a town, we need to explore options to increase funding for open spaces so that we can be prepared to acquire open spaces while maintaining our strong financial position.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I'm an outsider, and while some may say that is a political flaw, I know it is my best asset. My husband and his family have been in Swampscott for decades and they have transferred their deep love for Swampscott to myself and my kids. However, I know that in order for Swampscott to be its best version of itself we must look forward and not backward. I know why they love it here and I love their perspective. Having my own history of Swampscott gives me a different mindset to embrace Swampscott's evolution.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I think the challenge in this day and age is always communicating what is happening to our residents. Board and committee members often have hyperfocus to get things done and that should be applauded. However, one of the downsides of that focus is that boards and committees don’t always understand how the community at large perceives things are getting done. While every Select Board meeting is open to the community, I think the current mindset of the average citizen is that they are the last to know about a lot of things going on in town. We need to do better in informing residents and soliciting their input.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

As stated above, preserving and increasing open space is a top priority, but my connection to education is strong. As a mom to school-aged kids and a wife to a public school teacher, I understand the importance of a conducive and welcoming environment so that all students can be in the best space for learning, physically and mentally. We need to continue to invest in public education.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My legal career has been a driving force in helping me feel comfortable being uncomfortable. It has taught me that you are not always the smartest person in the room and that is OK. It has taught me that if you are not learning every day you are not growing. But also motherhood — kids are your highest high and lowest low — there is no road map. You just do it and sometimes you get it right and sometimes you don't but you try. The combination of my experiences and my natural curiosity about how to do things better, make me uniquely qualified to help Swampscott move forward.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

This goes back to my days at Saint Anselm -— the rule of Saint Benedict states: "Listen with the ear of your heart." I try to remember that in all my pursuits — personal or professional. It's never steered me wrong.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

My (5-year-old) son. Jack, was helping me deliver signs before school and said: "Mom do you want to win?"

I said: "Of course — I want to help the community so I want to win."

His immediate reply was: "Remember it's not about winning – it's about having fun trying."

Running for office is difficult, it can be intimidating, time-consuming and taxing on those running and their families, but it's for the betterment of the community and to show the next generation of Swampscott that anything worth having is worth working for.

I am proud to try and to have a little fun too. Thank you to all the candidates who put themselves out there and their families and friends who support them.