By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — Two political newcomers and two local officials pulled nomination papers for the April 9 Town Election last week.
Winchester Drive resident Kimberly Baker Donahue pulled nomination papers for a one-year term on the School Committee on Jan. 8. Baker Donahue joins Bryant Street resident Kristen Grieco Elworthy and Russet Lane resident Jenny Sheehan as the three candidates looking to fill the remaining year of former School Committee Chair Rich Sjoberg and Vice Chair Stacy Dahlstedt’s respective terms.
In the wake of Sjoberg and Dahlstedt’s resignations last month, four School Committee seats will be appearing on the Town Election ballot. Two seats will be for three-year terms and two seats will be for one-year terms.
Baker Donahue grew up in Lynnfield and attended Summer Street School, Lynnfield Middle School and Lynnfield High School for her freshman year. She transferred to Phillips Academy in Andover, and graduated with the Class of 1995. She moved back to town in 2009 with her husband, Matthew, to raise their two sons: LMS fifth grader Asher and Huckleberry Hill School first grader Shaia.
“My family has felt extremely grateful and lucky to have had the experiences we have had in this district, even during the difficult times schools/families have gone through,” Baker Donahue wrote on her campaign’s Facebook page. “Over the last few years, and especially over the last two months, I have been watching and listening closely to everything going on. Personally, whenever I have had a question or concern, I have reached out directly to the superintendent(s) and School Committee and always received a response, even if it wasn’t the answer I was hoping for. My goal is to be able to provide that same courtesy to all of you and to become a more integral part of the Lynnfield Public Schools.”
After receiving a degree in Sociology from Boston University, Baker Donahue graduated from Suffolk University Law School and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 2003. She practices estate planning, and started the Lynnfield-based KJB Law Firm in 2010. Baker Donahue has volunteered for a number of organizations over the years, and has served on the board of directors for the Peabody-based North Suburban Jewish Community Center (NSJCC) since 2015.
“Having been a part of several boards of directors and more recently, the president and immediate past president of the board of directors for the North Suburban Jewish Community Center in Peabody, where our primary program is running a childcare center/preschool, I am very aware of the processes and procedures that are involved from running a meeting to when/how to disclose information and to building relationships with the teachers, staff and community,” Baker Donahue wrote on Facebook. “As a member of the community, we don’t always know what we don’t know. But we do know that we want transparency, honesty, responsiveness. I want what is best for this community and what is best for our children, even if it’s not always the popular position. Emotions can and do run high. But it’s important to hold ourselves accountable, and it’s how we come back from that and move forward that makes the difference. I can’t promise that my opinion will always match everyone else’s or that I won’t make mistakes, but I can promise that I will always take responsibility for my opinions and actions, and will uphold a position on the School Committee the way I run my own business — with mutual respect, honesty and transparency.”
Pine Street resident Brendan Cooney pulled nomination papers for a three-year term on the School Committee on Jan. 10. He is looking to succeed School Committee member Phil McQueen, who decided against running for a third three-year term earlier this month.
“As a parent of a Summer Street School student, I’ve been following the recent events in our school system with concern, and I’ve been thinking about ways I could contribute to improving the situation,” Cooney wrote in an email sent to the Villager. “One of the things that stands out to me is the high turnover rate in leadership and the challenges facing our teachers. This is why I pulled papers for a three-year term. While I understand there is a lot to learn about the specific issues and challenges, I’m motivated to collaborate with others to develop approaches that will bring positive change to our community and the lives of our teachers and students.
“I grew up on the North Shore and graduated from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst,” Cooney continued. “I spent much of my career in and around education, working in study abroad, foreign language learning and education technology. Drawing from my experience in both education and business, I have a broad perspective on the challenges and opportunities involved in creating successful learning environments. Today, as a technical program manager, I routinely lead through change and manage complexity. I believe this combination of education and business backgrounds, along with a practical and transparent approach to problem-solving, makes me a valuable asset to the School Committee.”
Finance Committee/Library Building Committee (LBC) member Joe Gallagher pulled papers for a three-year term on the Board of Library Trustees on Jan. 12.
“I’m excited to run for a three-year seat to become a library trustee,” Gallagher stated in an email sent to the Villager. “As I became more involved in the Lynnfield Library over the last few months, I learned about the importance of libraries to communities and the different options planned to improve the Lynnfield Library. I believe in collaboration, transparent communication and the value of a free public library, and hope to contribute to the future of the Lynnfield Public Library as a library trustee.”
Gallagher and his wife, Kathleen, are Phillips Road residents and are the parents of three daughters. He is the Summer Street School PTO’s communications director and is a member of the Friends of the Lynnfield Library. He was appointed to the Finance Committee and LBC last summer.
“I believe being a trustee is an opportunity to give back to my community and benefit the Lynnfield Library, which I, my wife and my three daughters use often,” Gallagher wrote on his Facebook page.
Board of Assessors Chair Don Garrity pulled nomination papers for a fourth three-year term on Jan. 8.
There were no candidates who pulled papers for town moderator the past two weeks. Incumbent Town Moderator Joe Markey recently announced that he will not be running for a sixth one-year term due to family and professional responsibilities.
Select Board Chair Joe Connell is running for a second three-year term in the Town Election. He pulled papers on Jan. 4.
School Committee Chair Kate DePrizio also pulled papers for a second three-year term on Jan. 4.
Planning Board member Amy MacNulty is running for a full five-year term. She pulled papers on Jan. 5.
Board of Library Trustees members Russell Boekenkroeger and Andrew Kenneally will each have the option to run for three-year terms.
Elected officials and prospective candidates looking to run for office are able to pull nomination papers at the Town Clerk’s Office. The Town Clerk’s Office has been relocated to Senior Center/Lynnfield Public Schools Central Office, 525 Salem St., due to construction of the new $63.5 million public safety buildings and Town Hall project.
Candidates will need to receive the signatures of 50 registered voters in order to have their name appear on the ballot. The last day to submit nomination papers is Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 5 p.m. The last day for candidates to have their name removed from the municipal ballot is Thursday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m.
