Joanne Stocklin: Candidate for Town Moderator
Joanne is running to fill one open seat for Moderator against incumbent Fred George. Why do you want to serve in this position? I am seeking the office of Moderator to serve Northborough in a capacity that allows me to provide a non-partisan lens to town governing. My highest priority will be to utilize my professional experience in management and leadership pairing it with my commitment to creating a positive and inclusive town meeting environment for all who participate. My overarching goal is to ensure everyone has a clear understanding of the articles and an equal opportunity to fairly discuss them before making a decision. Any appointments I grant while holding the office of the Moderator will be transparent, thoughtful, and equitable for all interested parties. Any citizen who seeks an appointment for finance or appropriations will be acknowledged and thanked for their interest in becoming involved in the betterment of the community. I also hope to encourage others to become more involved in local government. What special qualifications and experience will you bring to the office? As a Northborough resident for 24 years, many people know me first as a friend and neighbor. Additionally, being active in the Zeh […]
Fred George: Candidate for Town Moderator
Fred is the incumbent Town Moderator, running to fill one open seat against Joann Stocklin. Why do you want to serve in this position? I have had the pleasure of serving as Town Moderator since 2003. It has been a wonderful experience as I have had the opportunity to meet and interact with many Northborough residents. I take the role of Town Moderator very seriously and have worked to gain more knowledge each year. When I served as President of the Massachusetts Moderators Association, I worked with Town Moderators throughout the Commonwealth. I want to continue as Town Moderator because my experience, knowledge and integrity contribute to my ability to lead an efficient town meeting and during the selection process when appointing individuals to boards and committees. What special qualifications and experience will you bring to the office? My experience in the role and my ability to effectively work with others have helped me to be successful as Town Moderator. My style as Moderator is have meetings that ensure that everyone in attendance understands the motions so that they can participate in the discussion and vote on the motions. My professional career has included roles in the field of Human […]
Laura Ziton: Candidate for Select Board
Why do you want to serve in this position?Having lived in Northborough for most of my life, there are some topics which have really interested me and by serving on the Northborough Select Board, I hope I can make decisions that will improve the livability of our town. I am passionate about downtown revitalization. By serving on the Select Board, it will give me the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of our downtown area. I have some ideas that I think could be effective in attracting new businesses to our town, such as improving the walkability of downtown and creating a more welcoming atmosphere in the heart of Northborough. The second reason I want to serve in this role is to try to keep our town affordable to the residents. In all the groups I participate in, our tax burden is a concern for many people. By serving on the Select Board, it will allow me to work on initiatives focused on keeping our town affordable. This includes reviewing our financial planning policies, departmental spending, and looking at more partnerships between the town and the businesses to achieve common goals. The administration of our town is something that I […]
Lisa Maselli: Candidate for Select Board
Lisa is one of two candidates running for two open spots on the Select Board. Why do you want to serve in this position? It is very important to me to be a representative of the citizens, to listen and value their concerns and work toward a successful outcome. I want to bring innovation into the mix to help with easing some of the changes we will be experiencing for the next several years. It is a much needed tool for addressing those challenges and offering alternatives to create healthy policies. The select board is charged with making policies for the town that aid in its future growth, I have the experience to help with that process. What special qualifications and experience will you bring to the office? I started and ran three successful businesses that were focused on serving the public, which developed a good foundation for understanding citizens wants and needs. In the thirty-five years that I have participated in town government, business and school organizations along with community groups, I have added to that acumen. Formal education includes Business Administration with accounting major, business law minor, Lasalle Interior Design, Harvard Landscape Architecture, Massachusetts Real Estate license and […]
Joan Frank: Candidate for School Committee
Joan is one of three candidates running for two open positions on the Northborough K-8 School Committee. Why do you want to serve in this position? As the candidate for the Northborough K-8 School Committee, I am asking for the continued support in my quest to further teamwork and collaboration among educators and community members to assure the best educational “rate of return” for each tax dollar invested for the Northborough K-8 students, educators and schools; address pandemic-era learning loss and its outcomes; to support social and emotional learning (SEL) so that students develop and enhance their social and emotional skills to succeed in school and life; to maintain and advocate for small class sizes and staff to support social and emotional learning; to make sure that both proficient students and those who may have difficulty in learning are provided with the most educational rewarding and challenging experiences; and, to work toward a common vision of educational excellence that delivers the appropriate services to all students through policy implementation and budget development. What special qualifications and experience will you bring to the office? The strongest asset that I bring to the position, as a Northborough K-8 School Committee member is 36 […]
Kristen Willems-Tietjen: Candidate for School Committee
Kristen is one of three candidates running for two open positions on the Northborough K-8 School Committee. Why do you want to serve in this position? I grew up in Northborough and am a proud alum of Proctor, Melican Middle School and Algonquin. After earning a bachelor’s degree and meeting the love of my life Michael Tietjen at Rutgers University, I returned to Massachusetts to earn a PhD in Biomedical Science at UMass Chan Medical School. When it was time to buy our first house we chose to settle in Northborough and have loved the past 9 years as parents in this community. As a proud alum of the great Northborough schools which prepared me to pursue my dreams and the parent of 4 young kids, 3 of whom are in the school system now, I am deeply invested in ensuring that our schools provide every student with the skills and knowledge they need to pursue their dreams. I know Northborough and our schools. I grew up here, was educated here and chose to raise my own kids here. Over the past 6 years I have been actively involved in issues before the school committee including the effort to bring […]
Amy Poretsky: Candidate for Planning Board
Amy is one of the two incumbents on the Planning Board running for reelection for two open seats. The race is uncontested. The second candidate running is Millie Milton, who also currently serves on the Planning Board. Why do you want to serve in this position? I am currently on the Planning Board and think we have made some great strides but there is more to do. We have a new Planning Director and new ideas. I am excited to see some of the projects that have been discussed for years coming to fruition. What special qualifications and experience will you bring to the office? I am a current Planning Board member who works diligently to follow the bylaws that are voted on by the residents at Town Meeting each year. When I first ran for Planning Board, what I heard from residents is that they wanted someone to “follow the bylaws” and someone who didn’t have a career that would benefit by being on the board. As a Planning Board member, we are tasked with reviewing plans for subdivisions, site plans for new construction and additions in the industrial business district, and designs for common driveways, using the regulations set forth […]