Through the pages of the Swellesley Report, I am pleased to announce my candidacy for the Wellesley Natural Resources Commission (NRC). Through my extensive experience with non-profit organizations, our Wellesley Public Schools and the private sector, I have built a successful track record of finding solutions to complex problems through thoughtful collaboration, analysis, and outcomes. I bring much-needed problem solving expertise to the NRC to help fulfill its mission while serving the Wellesley community.
The NRC’s purview includes our Town’s parks, conservation, outdoor recreation, and open spaces. As we all have learned since the onset of the pandemic, Wellesley’s incredible natural resources are essential to our broader health as individuals and community. The human-environmental connection is fundamental to the preservation of our natural resources for both current and future generations.
The work of the NRC requires coordination and communication not only within its membership but also across partnering boards, committees, and the Town community as a whole. The NRC’s stated Strategic Goals emphasize the need for collaborative management, education, and advocacy. I commit to that and more. Our Town is best led when we listen and learn from one another. Drawing from my professional and personal advocate experience collaborating with and educating different stakeholders and interested, often competing groups, I can advance the NRC and our Town forward on challenging and complex issues. Sharing competing interests and views respectfully with one another betters our community.
My “Protect, Plan, Play” platform offers a roadmap for an equitable, measurable, and balanced approach to the NRC’s stewardship of our Town’s natural resources. Our trails, lakes and ponds, wooded lands, active spaces, and playing fields are keystones of Wellesley’s character, lifestyle, and its citizens’ overall health. My top priority is to achieve real solutions that work for our environment and Wellesley’s families for today and all our tomorrows.
I am passionate about our Town’s natural environment and its connection to our citizens and the joy it brings. I ask for your vote on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
Lisa Collins, MBA, MA Economics, MA Educational Psychology
Kenilworth Circle
My experiences working and collaborating with Lisa Collins on the Wellesley schools PTO’’s showed me how lucky we are to have her in Wellesley! Not only did I learn so much from her, but I saw first hand her passion, hard work and dedication in helping to make Wellesley and our school district a better place for our kids and our communities. I encourage you to vote for Lisa- She won’t let you down and will work tirelessly on our communities behalf, because she truly cares.
I feel very confident that Raina McManus, who is up for re-election has been doing a remarkable job, and. is a “natural” in this position, and will continue to spend her time looking out for our natural resources. I also know that the WHS field lights is important to many in. Wellesley but I won’t make that the reason to vote for another candidate. Please join me on March 1st in re-electing Raina McManus. (For disclosure I’m happy to be a member of her Re-election campaign!!)
Thrilled to have someone of Lisa Collins’ caliber and character join the effort to bring a fresh perspective and approach to the NRC. Her balanced approach that cares for our natural resources AND our community, especially kids, is a winning combo. To learn more about Lisa visit-https://www.lisacollinsfornrc.org/
Thrilled to have someone of Lisa Collins’ caliber and character join the effort to bring a fresh perspective and approach to the NRC. Her balanced approach that cares for our natural resources AND our community, especially kids, is a winning combo. To learn more about Lisa visit- http://lisacollinsfornrc.org
It is time to end the NRC’s nonsensical stone age oversight of the high school stadium. The stadium is not some sudden construct recently dropped into the area. The school and the community needs the stadium. Many of us began testifying in support of this back in 2007! This process has been dragged on long enough. Basic human needs demand the need for real bathroom facilities. My sons grandparents could only attend games when they were students because I had a friend who lives on Smith Street. Does the NRC support the elderly being able to use a bathroom with dignity? Safety and reality demand the lights. Let them come see a freshman football game played at dusk with no lights. It defies reality. To hear that they wish the stadium was not there completes the madness of their despotic reign. Vote for Lisa Collins and lets take our community back.
Amen -the fact of the matter is the lights have been a discussion and debate since when I was playing high school sports in the 90’s!!! This community and the kids need the lights and the stadium upgrades more than ever now. Due to the pandemic and mandates many of our town’s kids have suffered so much socially (Middle schoolers are still eating lunch sitting on the floor of Gym B on socially distant spots with masks on like it is nap time in pre-school). It is a no brainer to to vote for Lisa Collins and rip and replace the current out of touch members of the NRC that have their own agenda and are against these upgrades and lights. Enough is enough, time to vote for Lisa and shift the power away from the very small minority (current NRC members and the few Wellesley High School Neighbors) and back to the majority of the taxpayers in this town who have wanted lights and stadium upgrades for over 30 years! Get out and Vote for Lisa!
Please make it a priority to get out this year and vote for Lisa Collins on 3/1/22. The last NRC election was lost by a little over 100 votes!
This week’s NRC meeting solidify that Lisa’s competition will not support the lights. The message sent was: this will NEVER happen. Many have asked for a compromise but the Chair and Co-Chair of NRC can not seem to understand that a compromise is not one sided. The rigidity of the some of the committee plays out in many other ways too. Most center around allowing the students to have any bonding time on the fields. The NRC currently holds the power to stop the kids from playing on the High School fields, yes, you read that correctly.
Let me be clear, no matter what is offered there will never be lights on this field if left up to a few of the members on the NRC.
Lisa is a well rounded candidate with the ability to communicate and work well with others, which has been proven by her many roles held over the years. Her concerns about nature and our youngest citizens will guide her to make the correct decisions for our town.
We need change and the residents of this town have the power to make that happen, please mark your calendars for 3/1/22.
I learned all I need to know about Lisa Collins when I read that she was the parent representative to the disasterous “opening plan” of the WPS in the 2020 year. First of all, while the rest of the parent population was totally in the dark, waiting for any scraps of information on how a year of our children’s lives would be spent, somehow certain parents were quietly hand chosen to give their input. That she was one of those parents (there were only 2) and silently co-signed the remote opening plan, 6 foot distancing, shift to hybrid disaster that was the 2020-2021 school year shows me that she doesn’t have what it takes to lead a town committee. The NRC is in charge of more than just putting up a couple of light poles. Please look at the bigger picture.
Victoria, I believe you are sorely mistaken if you think Lisa had any ability to guide the back to school plan for the fall of 2020. This town is controlled by the WEA (union) and the administration, parents have little to no say. If you do not believe me I would invite you to join the WPS Coalition Page on FB to see the level of frustration. As we speak there are issues with the currently WEA MOA agreement set in place that limits our kids ability to get back to normal.
Lisa is more than capable of being a steward of our natural resources. She collaborates well with other town residents and will provide a nice balance. Four terms and consecutive years as chair is way too long for anyone to be on a board and function effectively, we need a change. Please vote for Lisa on 3/1/22.
The NRC is, in fact, doing its job. That’s the problem. If people want to turn wetlands conservation areas into a toilet, they should at least assume full responsibility for the consequences. Perhaps Collins’ talents would be put to better use negotiating the transfer of NRC property to the Schools.
With all due respect there is a football field sitting in the location that is being discussed. This is not a pristine untouched conversation land. The NRC should have worked on moving this land over to the schools long ago but instead they seem to love the control factor they have. There is no other town were school fields are governed by an NRC. The active lives of our students should not be controlled by the NRC. Please help Lisa get elected on 3/1/22.