Campaign Phone
617-731-0002
Attendance
18 of 18
I am a lifelong resident of Brookline and a longtime resident of Precinct Thirteen. My wife and I were drawn to remain in Brookline and raise our children here because of its excellent services, its numerous diverse neighborhoods and its convenient location within the metropolitan area. Green Line access to Boston was especially attractive as I worked downtown. I worked in the financial services sector for over forty years. I have been a longtime and current Town Meeting Member, former Library Trustee and a former member of the Advisory Committee. I have been endorsed by Brookline PAX, Brookline For Everyone and Brookline by Design
Precinct Thirteen resembles the diversity of the Town, stretching from the urban areas of Washington Square and the Beacon Street corridor to the more residential neighborhoods towards Route Nine. As such, the issues facing the precinct mirror those facing the Town. If re-elected, I intend to support proposals for commercial development that are supported by the adjoining residential neighborhoods. I will also work for policies that build upon the MBTA Communities Consensus Plan that was voted by Town Meeting last fall with the goal of expanding housing opportunities across the economic spectrum. I am always receptive to hearing the concerns of my neighbors by phone, e-mail or a conversation on the street.
Campaign Phone
8572040651
Attendance
25 of 38
- lived in Brookline for over 40 years;
- raised two boys who went through the BHS system from K-12;
-town meeting member for 15 years;
- graduated Williams College and U Pa. Law School
-pursued a legal career in economic regulation and intellectual property law, working with medical researchers to turn scientific breakthroughs into improvements in clinical medicine.
-Board Member for the Metropolitan Waterworks Museum, with a mission of education about our precious and threatened water resources;
-as a parent of a significantly disabled son, I have gained the utmost respect for teachers and school administrators who did great work preparing him for college and independent living.
The issues Brookline faces—housing affordability, public safety, responsible and difficult fiscal choices—are complex and not amenable to simple, silver bullets. Key skills are listening, respect, reasoning, and data-based analysis. Brookline has an immense reservoir of talented and effective residents, and we can achieve practical and prudent solutions if we use those talents. I hope we can continue to be a town where renters, homeowners, and diverse groups can thrive. I am endorsed by Brookline For Everyone and Brookline PAX
Campaign Phone
617-835-5382
Attendance
38 of 38
I was drawn to our precinct 36 years ago by MBTA access, walkable commercial areas, quality public schools and charming neighborhoods. My volunteer leadership experience includes local non-profits and Town boards such as the 2020 Fiscal Advisory Committee. Professionally, I have held senior management positions spanning finance and human services, most recently as the MA Commissioner for the Blind. My diverse experience has been shaped by personal change and adjusting to vision loss plus evolving town priorities – balancing fiscal, housing and climate issues – all of which call for comprehensive planning and action. As an avid walker with my guide dog, pedestrian safety is also a priority. See Campaign URL for bio/endorsement info.
Town Meeting Members must engage with constituents to understand concerns and coordinate actions. As an example, many constituents, both property taxpayers and renters, are concerned about housing affordability, but many are distrustful of development. I have worked with other Town Meeting Members to shape the redevelopment of the AC Hotel in Cleveland Circle. We engaged neighbors who with changes supported this project. This opportunity made it possible for Brookline, rather than just Boston, to get important commercial taxes which takes pressure off residential property tax increases. I also want to help coordinate pedestrian and bike safety issues across our precincts. Good communications and listening make for a better Brookline.
Campaign Phone
617-620-9296
Attendance
Not Incumbent TM Member
I grew up in Brookline, and attended Baker School and Brookline High School. I returned to Brookline in 2015, and have lived here since then with my family (one child attending the Roland Hayes School, formerly Heath, and one entering this fall). While I am a lawyer by training, I have spent my career in nonprofit fundraising, first in the performing and visual arts, and now in higher education.
I believe that the responsibility of a Town Meeting member is to gather information and engage in the legislative process through debate, discussion, and direct advocacy, in order to create thoughtful, collaborative initiatives that reflect the current and long-term priorities of Precinct 13 and the Town. This includes taking the time to review each session's warrant articles, developing the most complete understanding possible, and welcoming questions, discussion, and input from residents of Precinct 13 on each topic through all channels of communication.
Campaign Phone
518-878-7024
Attendance
Not Incumbent TM Member
I am an eternally hopeful Green Line rider, bicyclist, and occasional motorist. My wife and I chose Brookline, and Beacon Street, as a home because of its walkability, transit access, and amenities. I am a historian (Yale PhD), longtime college teacher, and author of five books on how cities are built. I serve on the board of the Boston Climate Action Network. My research in urban history informs my climate activism, including my belief that Brookline should help solve our regional housing crisis by finding places to build in transit-oriented, environmentally sensible locations. I was appointed to a Town Meeting vacancy in 2023 and supported our zoning reform. Endorsed by Brookline for Everyone, Brookline PAX and Brookline Equity Coalition.
If elected, I will work for responsible budgeting, which includes promoting commercial development; for policies that build on last year’s rezoning to expand housing opportunities for the full range of ages and incomes; and for the promotion of walking, cycling, and transit, the protection of green space, and climate-friendly town practices. To learn how best to pursue these goals, I will start to engage with constituents on the campaign trail—in the streets and at doors—and will invite them to contact me with their thoughts and concerns. I will work with my precinct partners to set up a convenient online source of information on Town Meeting issues and decisions.
Campaign Phone
617-510-8870
Attendance
Not Incumbent TM Member
My family and I have lived on Orchard Road for 35 years. At Podziba Policy Mediation, I work with senior leadership of governments and representative stakeholders. My past clients include U.S. Departments of Education, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the United Nations. Recently, I worked with MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to develop Climate-Oriented Forest Management Guidelines. My past projects include affordable housing for tribes across the U.S., environmental justice cases, and federal regulations for early and secondary education. I am author of Civic Fusion: Mediating Polarized Public Disputes. I hold a masters in city planning from MIT.
I will learn of the concerns and interests of my constituents and represent them at Town Meeting. I look forward to meeting P13 neighbors, reaching out through neighborhood associations and organizations, and compiling an email list for ease of communications. In response to rampant and seemingly haphazard development, I supported the effort to initiate a comprehensive and inclusive community planning process. As a member of both the Planning Process Study Committee and the Comprehensive Planning Consultant Selection Committee, I helped frame out a planning process that will integrate deep public engagement into a new town vision. As TMM, I will work hard to integrate priorities of P13 residents into the planning process and final plan.
Campaign Phone
734-649-2948
Attendance
Not Incumbent TM Member
I am 36, an attorney and urban planner by training, but my most important job is being a father to my three young children. A proud public school parent, I am running in-part because of issues I have seen with pedestrian infrastructure. I want to ensure that our neighborhoods are safe, and that we have adequate pedestrian crosswalks and signals, especially near parks and schools. I believe in transit-oriented development and see opportunities for Brookline to add more housing and businesses in key areas while preserving the character of neighborhoods throughout our town. I support long-term comprehensive planning, economic development, fully funded schools, and increased housing equity. Endorsed by Brookline for Everyone and Brookline PAX.
As an elected representative, it will be my responsibility to communicate clearly with my constituents. I am an active member in the community, volunteering with the PTO and frequently discussing concerns my neighbors share about unsafe automobile traffic and unsafe conditions for pedestrians in our precinct. If elected, I will maintain my public facing web presence, and I will continue to engage in face-to-face and digital communications about any issues that Town Meeting may address. I believe in being responsive to the needs and desires of constituents, even if those needs and desires differ from my own. An elected representative's ultimate responsibility is to their constituents and I would hope to embody that in my public service.
Campaign Phone
617-277-3388
Attendance
Not Incumbent TM Member
I have lived in Brookline since 1967. My three children -- Mark, Jeremy and Amanda -- are all graduates of Heath School and Brookline High. I was elected to Town Meeting in 2009 and have served on the Advisory Committee since 2009. I hold a Ph.D. from the Alfred P. Sloan School of Management at MIT. I have been engaged professionally in consumer and public policy issues for my entire professional life, and have applied my expertise in government and budgetary matters to my work in Brookline Town Meeting.
I will represent the interests of all of Precinct 13 to ensure fiscally responsible Town government policies, fair taxation, appropriate and consistent zoning policies, and responsive Town government. As a Town Meeting Member for fourteen years, I have always made myself available to constituents and have on a number of occasions intervened on their behalf in various Town matters.
As a member of the Advisory Committee's Land Use Subcommittee, my focus has been on zoning and land use policy and have supported efforts to maintain the character of Brookline and Brookline neighborhoods. I have been endorsed by Brookline By Design and support its efforts at assuring comprehensive planning for future residential and commercial development.
Campaign Phone
617-953-7093
Attendance
Not Incumbent TM Member
Michael Shepsis lives in Brookline with his wife and son. Growing up in Brookline, he attended Lawrence School and Brookline High. As a practicing attorney with audit and tax experience, Michael brings a unique blend of legal and accounting skills. He is running for Town Meeting to help keep Brookline inclusive, safe, and fiscally responsible.
Michael seeks to represent Precinct 13 in Town Meeting.
