Everything you Need to Know About the Needham Election

Mark your calendars for April 13th, the day to vote in the Needham town elections. Nedham is run not by a mayor, but rather by a series of boards and other elected positions (and an appointed town manager). Local government is where your vote makes the largest impact and this year there are two super important contested races, the Select Board and the School Committee. 

So, if you’re 18 or older, a U.S. citizen, and a Needham resident, you can vote! First, check if you are registered here (you might have registered when you got your learner’s permit). If you’re not registered, all you need is a Massachusetts state ID (like a drivers license) to register online here , or you can print this sheet and mail it to the Needham Town Clerk at 1471 Highland Avenue. 

Currently, there is no vote by mail or early voting option. So, plan to vote on April 13th from 7am to 8pm. You can find your polling location here ! Make sure to encourage your parents, friends, and anyone else to vote in the Needham elections. If you want your voice heard, people need to vote! Also, if you are too hyped about these local elections to wait until April 13th, check out the volunteer links for the candidates below!

What is the Select Board?

In Needham, the Select Board is the most powerful government group. Think of them like a collective group of presidents. They establish the policies and procedures for the coordination of town government operations. They represent the interests of Needham residents in business decisions, legal affairs, and intergovernmental actions. They appoint people to be members of committees and boards under the Select Board’s jurisdiction, the positions of town manager and town counsel, and they approve other lower level appointments. They hold the annual town meeting and any other special meetings throughout the year. They also provide licenses to all food and liquor vendors and transporters. There are five members of the Select Board, and the seats have staggered elections, with each term lasting three years. This year, there are two seats available, with one incumbent and three new candidates running (check out here for more info) 

Marcus Nelson 

Platform: 

Marcus wants to use his understanding of Needham from his time at the Charles River Y, as well as his perspective as a young, Black man to help the Selectboard to reflect the desires of people in Needham. He wants the Needham school district to implement more restorative justice, teach diversity, equity, and inclusion beginning in kindergarten, have a more diverse hiring process, and bring students back to school full-time, as soon as it is safe. Furthermore, he advocates for small businesses, especially those run by people of color. Nelson wants Needham to fully follow through on the NURAI guiding principles and vision statements. Lastly, Nelson plans to encourage people and businesses to be more environmentally friendly. 

Professional/Personal Background: 

Nelson started in Needham by working at the Charles River YMCA in 2014, and moved to the town in 2018. While many families may remember him as a soccer coach, Nelson worked providing youth scholarships and fundraising over $1.2 million dollars for the local Y. He now works as the director of membership sales and service at YMCA Greater Boston. Nelson is also a current member of the Needham Human Rights Committee and NUARI (Needham Unites Against Racism).  

Fun Fact: He grew up in Rome, NY and was raised by his mother, grandmother, and aunt. 

Volunteer! 

Lakshmi Balachandra 

Platform: 

Balachandra wants to be the voice of people in Needham and promises to bring people’s feelings to the Selectboard. She hopes to bridge what she sees as an inter-generational divide in Needham. She plans on providing more clarity about where local taxes go, creating better parks and playgrounds, prioritizing equity and justice, increasing environmental responsibility, having stronger oversight over town operations, finding ways to help local businesses, and continuing certain pandemic practices into non-pandemic times (like town government zoom meetings). 

Professional/Personal Background: 

Balachandra is currently an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at Babson, where she has researched the impact of a person’s characteristics, especially gender, on their ability to get early funding.  She is a consultant for many companies, been an entrepreneur and venture capitalist herself, and worked for Women’s Venture Capital Network. She is a Needham High graduate and has lived in Needham since 2014. Her three children all attend Broadmeadow Elementary School. 

Fun fact: after college, Balanchandra took over the running of her mother’s toy store and also practiced with an improv group once a week. 

Volunteer! 

Maurice (Mo) Handel (incumbent) 

Platform: 

Handel hopes to continue “bring[ing] vision, promote[ing] civility, and bring an atmosphere of collaboration and creativity to the Select Board.” One of his main priorities is furthering racial equity in Needham by continuing NUARI, pushing for everyone to understand race in Needham, and addressing housing equity. He also wants to continue using zoning and limited tax incentives to bring new companies to Needham. Handel also wants to work to find alternatives to cars to decrease traffic in Needham and increase pedestrian safety. Lastly, Handel wants to focus on sustainability by reducing greenhouse gases and energy costs. 

Professional/Personal Background: 

Handel has been a member of the Selectboard for four terms and has been the Chair three times. Previously, he was a member and chair of the Needham Planning Board for almost 13 years and has been a town meeting member since 1995. He also represents Needham at the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission and is a member of numerous other local government boards, like the N Squared Economic Development District Steering Committee and the Senior Center Site Selection Committee. He is a member, past board member, and past president of both the Needham Exchange Club and the Needham Historical Society. Handel has lived in Needham with his wife since 1987 and all three of their children graduated from Needham High School. 

Fun Fact: Handel was an Commissioned Officer in the United States Army and worked in military intelligence during the Cold War. 

Volunteer 

Serge Zdanovich (no website available)

What is the School Committee? 

The Needham School Committee is the policy-making body of Needham Public Schools. As you are all active members of the Needham Public School System, this committee has arguably the most influence in your life over any other committee. They act as the collective boss for the superintendent, review and approve budgets for the various schools, and establish educational goals and policies for the district. There are seven members of the school committee who each serve a staggered three year term. This year, there are two seats available, and three new candidates running for those seats. 

Liz Dempsey Lee

Platform:

Lee is very passionate about racial justice and equity in Needham. As a member of the school committee, she wants to explore the intersectionality between family, school, and equity. Lee wants to use her perspective as a parent to address key concerns within the current school system. 

Professional/personal background:

Lee runs a very successful blog about becoming an anti-racist, parenting, and teaching children about the subject of race. She is an education consultant who focuses on equity, educating leadership and staff, and helping organizations turn their visions into reality. Lee has worked with all levels of the school system, from PTCs, to public schools, to private universities. She also was a teacher for Pre-K through first grade for several years. 

Fun fact: Lee runs several book clubs, and guess what, you can join them!

Volunteer!

Michael O’Brien

Platform:

O’Brien wants to make sure that every student is treated with respect and equitability. He wants to make sure that both students and teachers have access to all the resources they need to be successful. O’Brien values communication between the Needham community, the schools, and the school committee, and he intends to serve as the bridge between the three. He wants to practice fiscal responsibility with regards to the school committee’s budget in terms of making sure it meets the needs of our schools sufficiently. 

Professional/personal background:

O’Brien is currently a Town Meeting member for Needham’s Precinct C and a member of the Newman PTC. He is a member of the Needham History Center and Museum, the Needham Exchange Club, and the League of Women Voters Needham. O’Brien is currently the Deputy Director of Development at Bentley University. Previously, he has worked in the corporate worlds of finance and technology, non-profit organizations, higher education in the Boston area, and social service organizations. O’Brien is originally from the Boston area, and he has lived in Needham since 2013. He has two children who are Newman students and his wife is the co-chair of the Newman PTC.  

Fun fact: O’Brien is a basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer coach in Needham.

Rebecca Waber

Platform

Waber’s most urgent priority is helping schools and students recover from the difficult school year the pandemic has created, specifically by advocating for sufficient funding to get things back on track. She wants to ensure that schools are held accountable for racial, socioeconomic, and neurodivergent equity. Waber strongly believes in personalizing education to meet the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of every student regardless of ability. 

Professional/personal background

Waber is a Town Meeting member for Needham’s Precinct C and a founding member of Equal Justice Needham. She currently works in innovation consulting and management. Waber lived in Needham for 6 years and currently has two sons in the public school system. 

Fun fact: Rebecca has family connections to Needham going back 80 years

What else will be on my ballot? 

Besides the contested races for Select Board and School Committee, there are eight other elections happening! If you’re interested in these candidates or the boards, check out the Needham League of Women Voters Voter guide here. 

ASSESSOR: (1 seat, 3 years)

Walter McDonough 

TRUSTEES OF MEMORIAL PARK: (1 seat, 3 years)

William Topham (incumbent)

TRUSTEES OF NEEDHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY: (2 seat, 3 years)

Jay Fialkov (incumbent)

Anna Giraldo-Kerr (incumbent)

BOARD OF HEALTH: (2 seats, 3 years)

Kathleen Ward Brown (incumbent)

Robert Partridge (incumbent)

PLANNING BOARD: (1 seat, 5 years)

NaTasha Espada

NEEDHAM HOUSING AUTHORITY: (1 seat, 5 years)

Janice Bennett

COMMISSIONER OF TRUST FUNDS: (1 seat, 3 years)

Heydon Traub (incumbent)

PARKS AND REC: (2 seats, 3 years)

Christopher Gerstel (incumbent)

Dina Hannigan