Natick 2021 Candidate Profile: Paul Joseph For Select Board

NATICK, MA — Two Natick residents are running in the spring 2021 election for an open seat on the Select Board. Current Chair Jonathan Freedman will depart the board when his term ends this month.

For Freedman's replacement, voters have a choice between local business owner and former Select Board member Paul Joseph and former Finance Committee member Guimel DeCarvalho. We sent both candidates a questionnaire to help voters get to know them better. Here's how Joseph answered:

Paul Joseph

Age (as of Election Day): 52
Position Sought: Select Board
Party Affiliation: Unenrolled (independent)
Family: Wife, Magdalena ("Lena") and two children, Noah (20) and Ali (19)
Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No
Education: M.B.A. from Babson College and B.S. in Management and Marketing from Cornell University
Occupation: Self-employed Management Consultant and Business Trainer (d.b.a. "Contexed"); also, co-owner of Metroworks, coworking and flex-office space in Natick
Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Select Board, then known as “Board of Selectmen,” (2010 – 2013); Town Meeting, Precinct 9 (2008 – 2012, 2014 – 2018); Economic Development Committee chair; (2009-2015), Revenue Enhancement Task Force (2008 – 2009).
Campaign website: www.onenatick.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

In 2021, the Select Board will hire Natick’s third Town Administrator in 5 years. Economic uncertainty and structural deficits between the municipal and school budgets require leadership with deep local experience and knowledge, historical context, and the ability to listen, make difficult decisions, and work collaboratively.

I want to create and sustain a vibrant and diverse Natick where every community member can afford to live, find a job, educate their children, retire, and age in place.

I previously served as a selectman at a time when Natick was facing rapidly increasing costs, growing school enrollment, and an uncertain economy. In 2021, we face similar uncertainties, compounded by the pandemic’s effect on people’s ability to afford living here.
My experience is particularly relevant and valuable this year, given the Town’s challenges and priorities.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

"Affordability." Natick’s biggest challenge is maintaining its affordability while balancing the needs to address competing and compounding factors, such as: safely returning our kids to school post-pandemic, making the Town more accessible and equitable, or improving government accountability with better metrics, transparency, and communication.

Addressing affordability in an equitable way requires:

a) Effective economic development strategies to ensure Natick retains a strong commercial tax base to offset its residential tax burden;
b) Holistic and unified approach to planning and budgeting both school and municipal services to keep overall costs down while increasing investments in our schools and vital services; and,
c) Removing barriers imposed by current approaches, existing siloes, and lack of diversity.
Specific, achievable ideas we can implement while working towards longer-term solutions include:

• Using processes and forums already established - By broadening the charge of Natick’s Financial Planning Committee to conduct 5-year scenario planning and forecasting to establish and inform annual budget expectations and performance goals for Town and school administrations. This will help inform residential tax policy decisions and ensure that an appropriate balance is struck between supporting the growing needs of our school system and providing the level of services expected by all residents (e.g., public health and safety, road maintenance, community center and libraries, recreation and parks, open space management, etc.);
• Recruiting and convening the community to help SOLVE big problems - One example might be to host a Housing Plan charrette, inviting more diverse perspectives to help address the challenge of housing affordability. Such an event might engage members of the public, Town and NPS employees and volunteers, local agencies (e.g., Natick’s Housing Authority, Family Promise, Natick Service Council, etc.), and employers to discuss HOW we might implement some of the ideas surfaced in the 2030 Master Plan and Golden Triangle Study.
• Setting specific goals and measuring progress - The Select Board might incorporate housing strategy recommendations from such an event into its Annual Goals.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

In a word, "experience." I offer deep local volunteer experience, knowledge and regional relationships.

My wife and I have raised our now 20 and 18 year old children here since 2002. We know the challenges of (and opportunities for!) a growing Natick Public Schools system, and I have worked for many years trying to establish sustainable, non-residential tax sources to support the evolving needs of our students and schools from the general government 'side of the house.'

I have worked for the past 13 years as a community volunteer in Natick and regional liaison between the business community and local and state government, including serving on Governor Baker’s Economic Development Planning Council and serving the Boards of Directors of three regional organizations focused on economic development, tourism, and workforce development: the 495/Metrowest Partnership, Metrowest Visitors Bureau, and the Strategic Planning Task Force for MassHire MetroSouthWest.

I have over 30 years of business experience, including working as the CEO of the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce from 2015-2019; and, I have more than 20 years of experience in strategy consulting, as a business owner, and in senior management positions in software companies of varying sizes. I’ve managed and evaluated many teams and implemented multiple change initiatives and team integrations within complex organizations. I’ve also taught at the collegiate, graduate, and executive education levels.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

Overall, Natick has been very well-served by its leadership and staff throughout the pandemic, to date. To say they’ve performed “admirably” is not an overstatement. Like many of us, Town Hall had to rapidly adapt for a “work from home” model – a change akin to changing the tires on a moving car!

Covid created an extraordinary situation requiring navigation, coordination, and leadership under great stress, uncertainty, and under the lens of intensified public scrutiny. This was compounded by the complexities introduced by the need to collaborate remotely via Zoom and by personnel- and process-related issues that surfaced in late 2019 and early 2020.

One area I would have managed differently would be the oversight of the Director of Facilities Management. There should have been a unified, higher level of prioritization and support for this vital department head (who recently left Natick). As a Select Board member, I would have made sure that the School Committee and Superintendent were in regular contact with the Town Administrator and Select Board regarding staffing levels and the triaging, cleaning and adaptation of the Town’s school and public buildings for post quarantine occupation. There is a joint oversight committee for this explicit purpose; however, it does not appear that the committee convened at this critical time.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My platform and priorities have remained the same since declaring my candidacy. It includes:

1) Hiring Natick’s next Town Administrator;
2) Navigating the impacts of a post-pandemic economy on Town revenue and operations, especially municipal services and school budgets;
3) More effectively incorporating community feedback into policy decisions, operations, and volunteer appointments; and,
4) Examining Natick’s governance model and operating norms and their impacts on the Town’s ability to grow and operate more effectively and equitably.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Having actually done the job before, I would note that I:

• Served as a member of the team that hired Police Chief Hicks;
• Collaborated on leading the Facilities Management Department consolidation between Municipal and School Departments;
• Established metrics-based approach to annual goal setting; and,
• Established trust and working relationships with the Natick business community and Natick Soldiers Systems Center to work more closely with the Town.

Further, examples form my professional life include: starting three successful businesses, managing and evaluating high performance teams, and both reporting to and serving on Boards of Directors. A comprehensive snapshot of my professional background can be found on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/pjoseph/).

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Perfect is the enemy of good. In business, we don't have the luxury of time to get it perfect. Worse yet, we usually waste time and miss critical opportunities by not taking some action.
Although the phrase is a cliché, it was instilled upon me during the acquisition of my employer by a much larger company. I was to be promoted and named to the transition team during this volatile time, and my VP brought me into her office to explain what this truly meant in that corporate environment. She gave me 30 minutes notice to establish goals and set team objectives; she coached me on the importance of having a seat at the table and having something substantial to offer. My credibility was going to be tested by my new superiors and my newly inherited team so having my plan in place and the confidence to take action trumped having all the answers or having the "perfect" plan.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Most of the urgent work Natick needs to undertake in 2021 will require the successful hiring and onboarding of a Town Administrator, holding the Select Board and its members accountable for re-establishing and overseeing an effective collaboration between the Town Administrator and the Superintendent, and navigating the economic uncertainty of the post-pandemic economy.
Natick residents are rightly concerned about balancing affordability with investing in our schools and vital municipal services. I offer the experience, domain knowledge, and a track record of effective collaboration and decisiveness required to succeed from Day One.

I hope to have earned the trust and confidence of Natick's voters from my 13 years of local service and respectfully ask for your vote on March 30th.