Lynn Mayoral Candidate Q & A: Michael Satterwhite

In this September's municipal primary, three candidates are vying for the Lynn mayoral seat and two will move forward to the November general election. Two-term School Committee member Michael Satterwhite is one of those three candidates running for mayor this fall. Satterwhite is a lawyer who received a bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts - Lowell and a law degree from the Massachusetts School of Law. In addition to his legal career as owner of the Satterwhite Law Firm, he has also worked with several community organizations including the North Shore Latino Business Association, the Haven Project and Lynn Community Connections.

I chatted with Michael regarding his candidacy for Mayor.

Thanks for chatting with me, Michael! You’ve been serving on the Lynn School Committee for four years; why did you make the decision to run for Mayor this year?

I appreciate the chance to chat. I am seeking the office because our city needs a visionary, someone who will work with every resident, every ward and every business to make Lynn better. There are trials and tribulations for everyone, some more than others, but I am proud to have come from Lynn and I would not change a minute of it because the struggle and hunger motivated me to be the man I am today. COVID-19 enhanced and brought to light many of the inequities most of us already knew existed. Lynn is set to get a substantial amount of federal funding; enough to bring real positive change to our City if we have the right leader in place. I would like to change these inequities for our current residents and future generations. Now is the time for enhancing the voices of the people that have been silent for too long and building a Lynn that is equitable for all residents and businesses. I have been in leadership roles over my career and I am the only small business owner running; I have the experience to get this very important job done. Our City has tremendous potential, I’ll listen to ideas from any source, and look to break down any barriers that impact the growth our City truly deserves. 

Obviously, the pandemic has been a major issue globally but specifically in the City of Lynn where over 17,000 residents have been diagnosed with the virus. If elected Mayor, what would be your first steps in helping Lynn through the recovery process?

Lynn’s total COVID-19 cases are about 20% of our population. As of June 9th, 48,707 Lynn residents are fully vaccinated and 9,045 are partially vaccinated. The first thing we have to do is give our businesses and residents a voice. Limited data is shared with the general public as to what actions the City took that succeeded or failed. Mental health is the first step in recovery and assuring that our residents have the information and the support needed to recover alongside the economy. Contact tracing was a vital component to stop the spread, but it was also an opportunity to see the quality of life our residents have and the obstacles they face. Education is vital and Lynn Public Schools play an important role in providing children with a sense of stability and normalcy and ensuring children have a routine and are emotionally supported to cope with a changing situation. The changes that worked for local businesses that should remain in place and the impact of employment for our residents are all

data and information we should be building upon. 

Related to the pandemic, you list ‘strengthening health and wellness’ as one of your concerns on your website. How has the last year informed your perspective on public health in general but also what your approach to this issue would be as a public servant?

Strengthening health and wellness is seen as a social concern, but they significantly impact our workforce readiness and the accessibility of our residents. Strengthening the health and wellness of our residents  is vital in closing the gap between where Lynn is now, and where we want to be. We made tremendous progress working within the community to get more than 50% of our population vaccinated, however, we have to continue working on our social support systems to develop a coordinated, accessible, responsible and caring network, with enhanced leadership, partnerships, capacity and services, and a focus on identified community priorities. This includes working on mental health, substance abuse and the violence that our City, like many others, face. We have to perfect our roadmap to success, which means making adjustments and using the progress we made on COVID to further recover from the other challenges our City faces. 

On your campaign website, you also commit to serving the entire Lynn population. Currently, what populations or areas of the city do you believe to be the most underserved? How would you better serve those areas or populations?

As Mayor I will serve every resident, every ward, and every business. We as a City should not be picking who succeeds and who doesn’t. We have real data to see where the underserved communities are. Every resident and business should have expectations from City leaders and that includes work on accessibility, affordability and activities. Everyday as your Mayor, I would work to improve accessibility in our City. Accessibility is vital for our underserved residents, such as our seniors, youth and families. Accessibility to education, housing, employment, transportation, voting and technology are all important to the success of our City. We can best serve our underserved communities by giving them a voice and a seat at the decision making table. 

Tell us a little bit about your plan to minimize homelessness and food insecurity. How can relationships between the City and existing community programs and organizations be strengthened in order to address these issues?

I am the only candidate that has been homelessness and faced food insecurity. I grew up in poverty and suffered homelessness at the age of 16. My life has been committed to working to minimize homelessness and food insecurity in our City. I serve on the Board for Good Hope and several years ago we brought a food bank to Lynn Community Connections Coalition (I serve on this Board). I also serve on the Board for the Haven Project which provides age appropriate services to our growing, vulnerable 17-24 year old homeless young adult population. I have volunteered with My Brother’s Table for over two decades. I have experience connecting our existing community programs over the last decade to strengthen the reach and impact on homelessness and food insecurity in our City. As Mayor, I will continue working with our 300+ nonprofits in the City to assure we are reaching and impacting our most vulnerable communities.

Discussion around public safety is often limited to conversations around policing. From your perspective, in thinking about a holistic view of public safety, what would be your approach to addressing this issue?

As Mayor, I will ensure that our City serves every resident, every ward, and every business. This includes all aspects of public safety and assuring that our public safety is community facing. Collaboration between the police and the community can help identify and solve our community problems. This will take involvement from every segment of the community. As Mayor, I will facilitate the conversation. We also have to focus on long-term initiatives that will address the root causes of crime and violence in our City. The 2020 Charles E. Shannon Community Safety Initiative on Lynn data assessed our Youth Risk to be at 43% Moderate Risk and 46% High Risk. The Community Risk Factors used for this data, included Lynn Population that lives in poverty (almost double the Massachusetts’ average), economically disadvantaged (almost double the Massachusetts’ average), and high school dropout rate (more than double the Massachusetts’ average). Working every day as Mayor on accessibility, affordability and activities would be a vital approach to addressing public safety. 

Finally, what skills and experiences make you most suited for the role of Mayor? Why should Lynn residents consider your candidacy for the position this fall?

I am the only candidate that has the knowledge and experience to meet the needs of all of us here in the City of Lynn. I’ve been doing it. My work will always involve working to improve accessibility, affordability and activities for our communities. I have been tested and I am ready to lead on day one. 

I am the only candidate to own successful small businesses in Lynn for the past 15 years. In addition to opening and successfully running two businesses here in Lynn (with additional locations in Revere and South Lee, Massachusetts), I worked as a Managing Attorney and also managed within other companies. Having experience managing operations and processes is vital for the success of our City. 

I am the only candidate that is a conciliator and mediator. I have spent countless hours volunteering within Lynn District Court and other departments of the Massachusetts Trial Court doing conflict resolution. Having a Mayor that listens and provides opportunities for our community to speak up, will help business owners and the public solve common problems, together. Having experience balancing the needs of our city's residents and businesses with our desired growth is vital for the success of our City. 

In all of my roles during the past 18 years, I have had a part in the budget process. During my time on the School Committee, I fought to make the budget process within Lynn Public Schools more equitable and that is now the process. Having experience managing a budget and making the process more equitable is vital for the success of our City. 

I have spent most of my life working on the basic needs of our community (families, seniors and youth), employment, housing, education, health, and community engagement and I plan on doing this every day as your Mayor. 

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For more information on Satterwhite: masforlynn.com

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Lynn Mayoral Candidate Q & A: Jared Nicholson

This fall, Lynners will head to the polls in order to elect city officials in the municipal election. A major election on this year's ballot is the mayoral race. Currently, three candidates are running for the position making the September primary more important than in a typical year given that only two candidates will move forward to the November general election.

School Committee member Jared Nicholson is one of three candidates running for Mayor this year. Nicholson received a bachelor's degree from Princeton University and a law degree from Harvard University. Previously employed at Northeast Legal Aid and as an associate at Latham & Watkins, he now serves as a professor and the Director of the Community Business Clinic at Northeastern University. 

Nicholson responded to a few questions regarding his candidacy for Mayor and his vision for the city. 

Thanks for chatting with me, Jared! You’ve served on the Lynn School Committee since 2016; why did you make the decision to run for Mayor this year?

Thank you for this opportunity! As I reflected on the challenges of the last year, with the pandemic and all that’s happened – the work we’ve done on the School Committee dealing with the serious ramifications of the pandemic for education, the work my wife has done as a frontline healthcare worker at the hospital, the work I’ve done as a professor at Northeastern running a legal clinic helping small businesses stay afloat during COVID, I felt like I was ready to step up as Mayor and provide the kind of leadership we need in this important moment for the city.

We need to recover fully and fairly from the pandemic. We also need to take advantage of the opportunity that Lynn has for growth by putting our best foot forward. And we need to do it in a way that’s inclusive, that benefits the whole city.

I felt like I had the vision, experience, and energy that the next Mayor is going to need to be able to do that.

Obviously, the pandemic has been a major issue globally but specifically in the City of Lynn where over 17,000 residents have been diagnosed with the virus. If elected Mayor, what would be your first steps in terms of helping Lynn through the recovery process?

First, we need to continue to monitor and address the current public health situation. That means keeping track of what’s happening with any variants and continuing to advance the vaccination effort.

Second, we should reflect on lessons learned from the pandemic to improve our public health approaches for the future.

Third, we need to create opportunities to make up for lost learning and social-emotional development from students being out of school.

Finally, we need to continue to work with our small businesses to make sure that they can recover and return successfully.

 

Another big issue is housing. What would be your approach to balancing the need for new development with also ensuring that current low income residents are not negatively impacted by increasing rents or displacement?

One of the core themes of my campaign is that Lynn has an opportunity for growth, but in order for that growth to be meaningful, it needs to be inclusive. That means including low-income and working class Lynn residents and families. Housing is a huge part of that inclusion.

I have served on the Steering Committee of the Housing Lynn plan that’s currently pending before the Lynn City Council and Planning Board and I strongly support its adoption. We need to support smart growth that’s inclusive and sustainable, protect renters from bad conditions in the existing housing stock, and make space for Lynners in new housing stock.

 

Lynn is a diverse city but for some it may feel as though there is not a diversity in voices in the city’s decision-making processes. What are your thoughts on how Lynn can better address the ‘I’ in DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) in its governance but also more generally?

Lynn can better address “Inclusion” in its governance, but also more generally, first by addressing access, transparency, and representation. Communication, access, and transparency can’t just mean making information available. It has to mean getting the information into the hands of the people who need it.

First, in a multilingual community, language access needs to sit side-by-side with everything we do. That requires more investment in translation and interpretation.

Second, in a digital world, technology access and fluency have to be universal. We need systems that enable and encourage that, including an overhaul of the City’s presence online. The City’s website is our digital presence in the community just like City Hall is our physical presence. It needs to be more dynamic and accessible to reach its potential as a community resource.

Finally, the City now has a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, which I strongly support. I would work with that person, the City’s Personnel Director, and other stakeholders, to come up with a plan to help make sure City Hall reflects the diversity of the City. One important next step from the Housing Lynn plan is for the city to make a public commitment to show that diverse hiring is a priority, including using metrics and timelines.

 

Growing up in the Highlands during the 90’s was wonderful for me because of the community/neighborhood feel that included block parties and haunted houses and a centralized hub in the Ford School. Strengthening connections between and among city residents is one way to increase Lynners’ pride and investment in the city. How do you envision the Mayoral role in terms of helping to facilitate the community’s connection to the city and each other? 

The work towards addressing inclusion described above is a big part of that. Your mention of the centralized hub in the Ford School certainly shows how important a role the Lynn Public Schools can play in this work, for example, supporting community schools and students’ social-emotional development and needs outside the classroom, including more afterschool opportunities.

Another local resource that I think is sometimes overlooked in citywide conversations is the multiservice business. They provide needed services in areas such as immigration, tax, travel, translation, finance, and more. These businesses are an integral part of our community. They help organize flag days for their countries of origin at City Hall, sponsor community organizations, and anchor city storefronts.

Bringing multiservice businesses into the city’s conversations about community goals would significantly increase the City’s connection to different populations. It would also help answer questions people may have about when and how to use various resources for particular issues, like legal help or translation services.

 

Finally, what skills and experiences make you most suited for the role of Mayor? Why should Lynn residents consider your candidacy for the position this fall?

I'm running for Mayor because I believe I have the skills and experience to provide leadership for inclusive growth. To both create opportunities for growth and to make those opportunities inclusive.

I have deep experience on school issues from my work on the School Committee. I also have deep experience on city issues like housing and economic development through my work as a lawyer and a law professor.

I bring a fresh perspective based on that work as a professor and lawyer. I’ve worked with other cities on economic development. I’ve worked with businesses of all sizes from all over the world.

In addition to that fresh perspective, I also already have a record of delivering results right here in Lynn. For example, I've been proud to start a wrestling team in Lynn. I identified a valuable experience that was missing from the city and put together a team to make it happen and make a difference.

I also have a record of being there for people when they need it as someone who’s open, accessible, and dependable. I've done that time and time again in my role on the School Committee with parents, with teachers, with students. Particularly in working with families, my ability to speak Spanish has been helpful to be able to work directly with Spanish-speaking constituents.

In addition to the ability to deliver for people in the now, I’m also able to help us build towards a long-term vision of a better future. That vision is centered on inclusive growth.

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For more information on Nicholson: jarednicholson.org or on Twitter @JaredCNicholson

Lynn Voter Turnout 2017

Yesterday in Lynn, residents turned out to vote for mayor, city council and school committee with challenger and current State Senator Thomas McGee overtaking incumbent mayor Judith Kennedy 64% to 35%. Voter turnout in the city this election cycle was lower than in previous mayoral races at just 28.16% (or 14,489 voters of the 52,722 Lynn residents who are registered to vote).

Turnout in Ward 1 was the highest at 45.7% and lowest in Ward 4 at 16.3%.



Ward 1 accounted for 30% of the votes citywide.

Source: http://www.ci.lynn.ma.us/cityhall_documents/clerk_elections/election_results/city_of_lynn_election_results_nov_2017_unofficial.pdf

2017 Lynn Municipal Election Rundown

2017 Municipal Debates

• Lynn Community Television Candidate Profile: Thomas McGee
• Lynn Community Television Candidate Profile: Judith Kennedy 
• Lynn Community Television Councilor At-Large Candidate Profiles
• Lynn Community Television Ward Councilor Candidate Profiles
• Lynn Community Television School Committee Candidate Profiles
• Lynn Teachers Union School Committee Debate (10/4/2017)
• Daily Item Mayoral Debate (10/11/2017)
• Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce Councilor At-Large Debate (10/11/2017)
• Lynn Community Television Councilor At-Large Debate (10/16/2017)
• Highlands Coalition Ward 2 Councilor Debate (10/17/2017)
• New Lynn Coalition Councilor At-Large Debate (10/17/2017)
• MA Senior Action Council Mayoral Debate (10/18/2017)
• Lynn Community Television School Committee Debate (10/19/2017)
• Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce Mayoral Debate (10/20/2017)
• Lynn Community Television Ward Councilor Debate (10/23/2017)
• Highlands Coalition Mayoral Debate (10/25/2017)

2017 Q&As

Councilor At-Large

• Jaime Figueroa
• Brian LaPierre

School Committee

• Natasha Megie-Maddrey
• Jared Nicholson
• Michael Satterwhite

2015 Q&As

Councilor At-Large

• Brian LaPierre

School Committee

• Natasha Megie-Maddrey
• Jared Nicholson

To confirm your specific polling location, see: 

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/wheredoivotema/bal/myelectioninfo.aspx

Don't forget to vote on Tuesday, November 7th!

LTU Mayoral Debate Scheduled for 9/23/13

According to the press release: "Mayoral candidates Judy Flanagan Kennedy and John Timothy Phelan will participate in the event, which is open to all Lynn educators and the general public. Likely topics include school funding, charter schools, strategies to promote family engagement, and potential capital improvement projects."