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Let's hear a "rah, rah," for Lynn

You live in … Lynn? 

That question, which I’m often asked, is usually delivered in a tone of disbelief, followed by a puzzled look.

My response is always a proud yes. Never am I apologetic or ashamed. And why should I be? 

I don’t live in Lynn because I have to. I live here because I choose to. 

The majority of my 40 years of life have been spent in this city. I was born, raised and schooled here. After college, I tried out a few different Massachusetts cities before realizing that my hometown had all I needed: the ocean, the woods, housing that was affordable to me, a quick commute into Boston, and most importantly, my family and friends. 

Nearly seven years ago, I bought a house off of Lynnfield Street. Not even a change in jobs, which had me driving 70 miles to and from the South Shore every day, could budge me from the city where my roots were now even more firmly planted. 

And just this summer, I made my biggest move to Lynn that left just about everyone in my professional and personal circles scratching their heads. I left a fairly secure, high-level position running a state agency (that I had just led to its most successful year ever) to take over the operations at The Item – located in the heart of the city’s downtown. My goal is to contribute back to Lynn because I believe the city has invested a great deal in me and played a major role my successes.

Friends have jokingly called me one of Lynn’s biggest cheerleaders – a moniker I readily accept. Accordingly, nothing made me prouder or want to cheer louder than what took place in our city Monday morning. I know I am not alone in celebrating. Political elites representing all levels of government gathered on the steps of Lynn City Hall to deliver a unified and focused message: Develop Lynn. 

Sure, it’s a message that we’ve heard from various politicians and officials countless times before. The buzz words “rebuild,” “revitalize,” and “potential” have been spouted about Lynn for as long as I can recall, but ultimately they were drowned out by echoes from inside the silos from which they were being shouted. Although there were great intentions behind our city’s past economic development initiatives, momentum often was lost because there seemed to be little-to-no greater vision or connecting of the dots. That is, until two days ago.

Nothing remotely like the Lynn Economic Advancement Team has ever existed, not in this or any other city in the commonwealth. Congressman Moulton, Gov. Baker, state Housing and Economic Development Secretary Ash, state Economic and Environmental Affairs Secretary Beaton, and state Transportation Secretary Pollack stood alongside the city’s state delegation on Beacon Hill, Mayor Kennedy, the City Council, EDIC, LHAND and several other stakeholder agencies to announce they will work in unison to invest in the future of Lynn and its economic viability. 

Lynn, this was more than just a pep rally. It’s game time. We’re now not only hearing words spoken – action is being taken. And for this reason, we should be very encouraged. 

We “cheerleaders” who have been and continue to be invested in our city will no longer be on the sidelines watching aimlessly. There’s an entire team ready to make a play for Lynn. And our team finally has a game plan – we are aiming to win, big. 



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