The next Wellesley town-wide election, set for March 1, is rapidly approaching. If you have any interest in running for town-wide office, you need to take out papers by 5pm on Jan. 7, and return papers by 5pm on Jan. 11 (full details at Town Clerk’s web pages). There are 13 town-wide seats up for grabs, plus dozens and dozens of Town Meeting seats (see table below, along with an embedded via via Wellesley Media of the League of Women Voters of Wellesley’s “How to Run for Public Office” webinar). While candidates have emerged for most seats, the more choices for voters, the better.

For those of you on the fence about running, we thought it might be helpful if we reached out to a handful of current town-wide office holders who are serving their first term. We asked them what it’s been like, what they wish they knew ahead of time, and what’s been most challenging.

(Note that many in local politics get their start serving as Town Meeting members.)

Leda Eizenberg is serving her first term on School Committee.

What do you know now about holding public office that you wish you knew when you started your campaign?

The view of our town’s boards really is from 30,000 feet. We set policies, but we don’t operationalize them. I’m a person who likes to think about how things will actually work in practice (especially in education), but that’s really not my job a lot of the time. I’ll also admit that before I had this seat at the table, I used to bemoan our slow “municipal pace.” Now that I see just how much work goes into everything the town and schools do, I’m amazed at how fast things move!

What have you liked most about holding public office?

I love hearing from educators in our district about the work they’re doing in support of our kids’ intellectual and emotional growth. I also relish opportunities to connect with community members in less formal settings, like office hours, or Catherine Mirick’s and my recent visit to Student Congress at WHS! Digging into issues and having conversations with residents about their interests and concerns energizes me. As a former teacher, I’m also thrilled whenever I get to attend educational workshops, and I’m similarly inspired by the nascent work of the DEI Task Force. Finally, I really enjoy engaging with other boards and passionate volunteers and learning about their work in things as diverse as energy resiliency and improving mobility.

What do you like least about it?

Open meeting laws sometimes have the unintended consequence of quashing conversation about a topic. I’m a person who thinks and processes by engaging in dialogue with colleagues, but a meeting isn’t always the most efficient way to do that. And yet meetings are really the only time we can talk to each other about issues. It sometimes has the effect of rendering our interactions a bit stilted.

Bea Bezmalinovic is serving her first term on the Natural Resources Commission.

What do you know now about holding public office that you wish you knew when you started your campaign?

I’ve come to appreciate some of the complexities of town government and the rules or standards that govern everything from budgeting to procurement to meeting structure. I am still learning about aspects of holding office in general, about the NRC’s role in town, and how different boards operate.

What have you liked most about holding public office?

In my first year, I have found three aspects of my role that I really like:

I ran for office because I wanted to do more to support and protect the Town’s biodiversity. I am originally from California but I have come to love Massachusetts’ landscapes. Being part of the NRC, I have learned more about how the Town cares for open spaces and been able to support action to protect our natural resources. As a member of the NRC, I was able to partner with Sustainable Wellesley to host a native pollinator kit sale. I participated in an NRC-sponsored challenge on iNaturalist that an NRC staff organized, which I thought was a good way to map out pollinator-friendly landscapes. OK, maybe there is no surprise that I like all of this: this is why I ran for office.
An unexpected benefit of holding public office is the opportunity to interact with many other residents who care about Wellesley. I am impressed by the level of interest and activism among residents. I’ve read emails and had conversations with others that really made me think.
I’ve also been impressed by thought and effort that other elected officials invest in their board-related work.

What do you like least about it?

I am now Secretary for our board and I confess that I don’t love writing up minutes, although I do admit that drafting minutes is a good opportunity to review progress and issues related the NRC’s work.

Odessa Sanchez serves as a Wellesley Housing Authority Board commissioner.

What do you know now about holding public office that you wish you knew when you started your campaign?

When I initially discussed an interest in running, I was told that it wasn’t a good idea, because I didn’t fit the formula, or meet the criteria, for whatever reasons. Not only was that untrue, it’s the unfortunate reason many valuable people just like me, avoid throwing their hat in the political ring. What I want people to realize about running for local offices, is that anyone can, and should do it. Don’t allow negative energy deter you from contributing to your community in a positive way.

What have you liked most about holding public office?
Reaching a broader cross-section of citizens in town who have seen very few people who look like me represent Wellesley as a town office seat holder. I’m hopeful that my accomplishments will lead to more diversity in leadership here, (and I want to emphasize LEADERSHIP) and many more conversations about matters that affect all of Wellesley, not just some. If the highest offices in town don’t represent a diverse range of citizens in this community, how do we expect real change in current policies and expectations?

What do you like least about it?
This is a new experience and I enjoy learning and getting familiar with everything. If I had one complaint, it would be having to zoom public meetings or talk through masks when in- person. My favorite thing about public office is seeing faces and having conversations, and that’s hard to do under the current guidelines.