The Wrentham Times

BOS Candidate: Jim Anderson

Hello Wrentham voters, my name is Jim Anderson and I’m running for re-election to the Wrentham Board of Selectmen. I’m asking for your vote on Election Day, Monday, April 5th.

During my time on the Board of Selectmen, as policymakers we participate in the financial management of the town, provide balanced budgets, develop a five-year Capital plan, review economic development projects, we modernized best practices in town government by adding a human resource administrator, a facilities manager and provided leadership to the Town’s most important assts, its employees.

I am thoroughly invested in the Town of Wrentham, having raised my family here, and enjoyed my 35-year career with the fine men and women of the Wrentham Police Department. Throughout my career, I was privileged to fulfill my career goal to rise through the ranks and lead the Wrentham Police Department. As Chief, I dealt with many challenges and in spite of those challenges, I always focused on the positive, finding solutions, resolving conflicts, dealing with critical incidents and leading was part of my everyday life in police work. I continue to bring those skills to the Board of Selectmen.

During my last few months as Chief of Police, I also served as an interim town administrator for the Town of Wrentham. In both positions I dealt with every department in town, including the selectmen, finance committee, capital budget committee, planning board, and attended annual town meetings. I feel as though I have a good handle on town government, budgets and deep institutional knowledge of the community.

Regardless of the different roles I’ve played in Wrentham, I always strived to accomplish what’s best for the town I love, including a great school system, responsive public safety departments, recreation facilities, and a town government that truly represents the people of Wrentham.

My combined lifetime experience will serve me well as a member of the Board of Selectmen. I promise to focus on continued growth of our local economy which generates much needed revenue for the Town while also maintaining Wrentham’s charm which is what attracts people here in the first place.

I am asking for you to support my leadership, vision, and candidacy for re-election to the Board of Selectmen seat on Monday, April 5th and I look forward to serving the residents of Wrentham for another three years.

All in with Jim,
Jim Anderson

Philip Jordan Announces Candidacy for Wrentham Public School Committee

Ten-year Wrentham resident and local business owner Philip Jordan is running for Wrentham Public School Committee. The election, set for April 5, 2021, will fill two vacancies on the Committee. Jordan says he is running to help the district navigate the challenges of Covid-19 on school operations and to seek novel funding from outside the district to enhance the curriculum and provide additional resources, such as tuition-free full-day kindergarten.

A father to three girls, Jordan has experienced first-hand the many challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. Year-long school closures have placed immense financial stress on families and teachers alike. “We’re finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but many of the challenges facing our district are just beginning,” said Jordan. “The impact of isolation and remote learning on the mental health of our children can’t be erased overnight.”

Jordan’s campaign addresses many of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Wrentham school community:

1. Outside Funding: Jordan will work with the school board, other elected officials, and local nonprofits to secure additional outside aid and grants. These grants will serve as key funding streams for emergency programming and piloting new offerings in Wrentham schools.
2. Kindergarten Tuition: The coronavirus pandemic has made preschool and kindergarten even less accessible to low- and middle-income families. Jordan will work with the board to secure outside grans and funding for free, full-day kindergarten tuition.
3. Supporting Teachers: Many Wrentham teachers and staff have been working overtime to ensure the continued education of students throughout the pandemic. As a board member, Jordan will work to reduce teacher and staff workloads and ensure that they have the necessary resources to enrich student learning.
4. COVID Impacts: Although children are resilient, the impact of extreme isolation and disruption cannot be taken lightly. Jordan will work with the school administration to make the mental health of Wrentham students and teachers a top priority going forward.

Jordan is the Vice President of BW Research and manages the firm's Massachusetts office. He has worked in research, law, and policy for nearly two decades in the private sector, government, and academia. Jordan is a Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he focuses his teaching and research on comparative talent and labor practices in the U.S. and Asia, and is an attorney and member of the Massachusetts Bar.

He has his J.D. and Certificate in Environment and Land Law from Boston College and his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Connecticut. When not working, you can find Phil outside with his family, on the water, in the woods, or in the garden.

For more information, visit phil4wrentham.com

Submitted by the candidate.