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Endorsements

Committee to Elect Lise Olney

Amy Benjamin and Phyllis Theermann, Co-Chairs
Tim Fulham, Treasurer

Melinda Arias-Voci

Andrea Barnhill

Paul Barnhill

Scott Bender

Mary Bowers

Sheila Boyle

Niki Brinkman-Ofenloch

Ellen Burns

Kathleen Carney-Mark

Jeanne Cerulle

Paul Criswell

Deborah Edwards

Marjorie Freiman

Andrew Friendly

Kelly Friendly

Mary Gard

IMG_2709.HEIC

Liz Greenwood

Christina Horner

Darlene Howland

Ally Jin

Je'Lesia Jones

Vaani Kapoor

Sheri Kassirer

Kathy Kaufmann

Pam Kubbins

Regina LaRocque

Haihong Li

Shengli Li

Peter Litman

Elizabeth May

Elaine Mittell

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Sue Morris

Lina Musayev

Tendai ​Musikavanhu

Kathleen Nilles

Mike Nilles

Quentin Prideaux

Rama Ramaswamy

Heather Sawitsky

Renee Spencer

Donna Stoddard

Maria Taylor Kelleher

MaryAnne Ulian

Steve Ulian

Ellen Watts

Kathleen Woodward

Personal Endorsements from Wellesley Colleagues and Neighbors

Please scroll down to read letters from Marjorie Freiman, Sherri Kassirer, and Sue Morris.

Letter to the Editor from Marjorie Freiman

I ask you to join me in enthusiastically supporting Lise Olney for reelection to the Select Board (“Board”).  My support is based directly on my experience serving alongside Lise on the Board for two years and our ongoing work together.  

Two critical factors – and an impressive and varied skill set – lead me to support Lise. An effective Board member must have a broad focus on the best interests of the Town as a whole, across multiple functions, interests, and priorities. Lise considers the entire Town in every aspect of her work. 

Second, experience is the best preparation for service on the Board, as it makes policy decisions, plans for and supports capital projects, and with the Director of Finance, conducts prudent financial planning, all of which cross multiple fiscal years.  Becoming familiar with all phases of this work takes time. The learning curve on the Board is steep, and reelection of an incumbent offers an invaluable and uninterrupted transition from year to year.

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Lise also possesses an impressive array of skills that make her a highly effective Board member. Among her attributes are the following: 

  • honesty and integrity; 

  • a calm and respectful demeanor;

  • creativity and new ideas; 

  • strong leadership skills;

  • thoughtful consideration of and careful listening to others; 

  • clear articulation of her thought process; 

  • an indefatigable commitment to the Town through hundreds of hours of work 24/7; 

  • the ability to juggle dozens of wide-ranging activities; and

  • a collaborative nature in multifaceted projects.

 

During her first term, Lise spearheaded critical projects, including the Wellesley Civil Discourse Initiative; the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force; and the Wellesley Freedom Team.

Wellesley needs experienced leaders like Lise to guide the Town through as-yet unknown post-pandemic impacts, maintain Wellesley’s strong financial position, protect and preserve the Town’s infrastructure, and advocate for the Town and its residents.  Lise’s work and leadership on the Select Board during her first three years  demonstrate that she is an exceptional member of the Select Board and the Town will benefit greatly from her continued service.

Please join me on March 1 and reelect Lise Olney to the Select Board.

 

Marjorie R. Freiman

Grove Street, Precinct G

Advisory Committee and Chair, 2011-14

Select Board and Chair, 2015-21

Town Meeting Member Precinct C, 2012-21 and candidate in Precinct G 2022

Letter to the Editor from Sheri Kassirer

I am enthusiastically supporting Lise Olney for her second term as member of Wellesley’s Select Board.  Lise’s leadership attributes are many.  She does her homework;  she is a careful listener; and she is a thoughtful advocate.  However, the one attribute I’d like to emphasize is her ability to innovate.  Successful innovation within any government is not easy.  Good ideas are only the beginning.  

 

The new Wellesley Civil Discourse Initiative is an example of Lise’s ability to tackle difficult problems with innovative ideas backed up by her characteristic deep legwork and follow-up, skilled organizing, and effective leadership. After the division and acrimony that arose over the passage of Wellesley Indigenous Peoples Day, Lise looked for ways to help our town find a better way to engage with each other, to have deeper richer conversations that led to greater civility and understanding.  She did her homework and found a program of facilitated conversations with a strong track record of success.  But that was just the start. She convinced a goodly number of people to undertake rigorous facilitator training (during covid), and she invited (and persuaded) dozens of Wellesley residents to participate as pioneers! Step by step, in her calm and gracious way, Lise accomplished what was necessary to deliver these facilitated conversations, which are now called the  “Wellesley Civil Discourse Initiative.”  

 

 As Lise stated at a recent successful Wellesley Civil Discourse Initiative meeting, “It is no small thing to restore people’s hope that we can care, talk and work together through anything.”  No, it isn’t Lise…!  Lise brings to the job of Select Board hopeful vision as well as a well-stocked fund of skills and knowledge to get it done.  These are just some of the many reasons I will be voting to re-elect Lise Olney to the Wellesley Select Board on March 1.

 

Sheri Kassirer

Squirrel Road

Letter to the Editor from Sue Morris

I am writing to express my support for Lise Olney who is running for re-election to the Select Board on Tuesday, March 1. Lise has been a strong contributing member of the Select Board since her election in 2019, and the Board elected her as Vice Chair last March.

 

I have personally worked with Lise for 10 years on various committees in town including the Town’s Climate Action Committee (formerly Sustainable Energy Committee), Sustainable Wellesley/Wellesley Green Schools, Wellesley Green Collaborative, and others. As members of the Climate Action Committee, we have worked together on the development of Wellesley’s Climate Action Plan. 

 

Lise is one of the most capable people I have ever worked with. She is always well prepared and thoughtful about town issues. She is tireless in her efforts to better the town, protect the environment and advocate for equity. Over the past three years, Lise has worked on and advocated for important issues that matter to me, including the Town Meeting resolution to address climate change, the Wellesley Civil Discourse Initiative, the Wellesley Freedom Team, and the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force. 

 

Before she joined the Select Board, Lise was a member of the Natural Resources Commission for five years, serving as important advocate for our green spaces and providing leadership on issues such as gas leaks, pesticide use, and the plastic bag ban. 

 

I hope you will join me in supporting Lise’s re-election on March 1st.

 

Sue Morris

Framar Road

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