Southwick Polls Open May 13th 7AM
My Story
Many of you know me as the past fire chief, a position I retired from two years ago. Today, I ask for your support for the Select Board position. I bring solid leadership, experience, and history of commitment to public service. My entire life has been dedicated to serving communities, solving challenges, and building stronger, more resilient organizations.
I have proudly served in public safety for over forty years, holding leadership roles as Fire Chief in two different communities. In one of those communities, I was tasked with rebuilding a department from the ground up after a major internal fire department theft left it in chaos. Through dedication and teamwork, we restored trust with the community, efficiency, and excellence in service.
Service runs deep in my family. My grandfather was a farmer here, and my grandmother was one of the original phone operators. My father and brother also dedicated themselves to serving our town, and I have pridefully carried on that legacy. I graduated from Southwick High and raised my children here.
Beyond public safety, I spent 20 years in business communications and marketing, facilitating annual meetings and supporting the launch of new products nationwide. After an agency closure, I became self-employed for a decade, producing award-winning corporate videos and presentations for major regional corporations.
In 2006, I was honored to become the Fire Chief of Granby, Massachusetts. At the time, the department was in critical need of physical and operational rebuilding. Over the next ten years, we transformed it into a model of excellence, providing top-tier fire protection and medical services- earning an EMS award for the department's accomplishments. I also held the position of discrimination officer and was trained by our insurance carrier for "Preventing Discrimination in the Workplace." I also served on the board of directors for the Granby Council on Aging.
After securing numerous apparatus purchases and constructing two public safety complexes, I have experience in municipal purchasing of large-scale items and projects, from concept to budget review and town meeting approvals. This includes navigating complex state restrictions and bidding processes to ensure these projects serve the community's needs on time and within budget.
Beyond my local roles, I have served as President of the Hampden, Hampshire, and Western Massachusetts Fire Chiefs Associations. I also served as State Board of Director for the Fire Chiefs of Massachusetts Association, representing Hampden and Hampshire counties and addressing statewide issues. Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency appointed me to lead the Western Massachusetts division of the Regional Task Force for mutual aid fire mobilization, a critical responsibility in ensuring emergency preparedness and collaboration across communities.
I have successfully negotiated over six labor union contracts, worked under three town administrators, and operated under two different forms of community government. I have managed million-dollar budgets and supervised both career and volunteer staffing and employee issues. I am the only candidate who has the experience operating where the rubber hits the road - solving problems in the municipal environment - all day - every day of the week. I have a history of providing practical solutions to the challenges we face.
Watch for part two – what have I done since retiring.
So, what have I done lately since retiring two years ago:
I am a grant writer for First Responder Grants – writing competitive public safety grants for first responders nationwide.
I have been the town's emergency management Director – undertaking a retooling of the department and upgrading our communications.
I stepped in to temporarily manage facilities and grounds here for Southwick for the last nine months. This gave me a great understanding of the inner workings of various departments. We focused on streamlining maintenance with responsive vendors, economically completing numerous office moves - under budget - utilizing used furniture, and a common sense approach. We successfully addressed green energy grants to reduce energy costs and mapped other practical solutions. We also successfully obtained CPC funding to restore town hall façade designs, protecting our town hall into the future.
I also serve as the Director for the Fire Chiefs of Massachusetts annual Professional Development Conference, leading the team to provide education and vendors for more than 600 attendees over three days.
Today, I ask for your support. My strong municipal experience has prepared me to provide forward-thinking leadership that prioritizes responsible governance. I believe in common sense and practical solutions to the challenges we face. Together, we can continue to build a better future and strong community.
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