Politics & Government
Heather May: Waltham Elections Q&A
Heather May is a candidate for Waltham City Council Ward 2.
This is third in a series I will publish on Waltham Patch, so we can better know our candidates and what they stand for. These interviews and observations do not reflect my personal political views. This series is meant to introduce candidates to constituents in an easy-going, positive way. I will not ask questions comparing candidates, nor will I provide my personal political opinions.
My series will include individual articles with a candidate's interview. Then, when each interview has been published, I will post an article containing all the interviews.
If you are a Waltham political candidate and would like to request an interview, please feel welcome to contact me. The Patch reporter is also running a separate series.
Heather May is running for Ward 2 City Council. She and I met at Bison County for a late-afternoon snack. Burnt ends for her, jalapeño poppers for me. We talked about food culture, hidden gems in local history, and favourite colours (hers is orange; mine is aqua). Speaking with her felt natural and open. It was obvious that she strongly values communication, listening, and advocacy.
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As the impeccable servers brought our food, and the special house hot sauce for me, we had a chance to discuss her professional background, challenges of being a working mom, and the enrichment that Waltham offers to families of all kinds.
JL: Where are you from originally? How long have you lived in Waltham?
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Heather May: I am originally from North Platte Nebraska. I lived there until I went to college at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and then I moved to Boston in 1997 for Graduate schoolat Suffolk University. In 2001 I began teaching at Emerson College, where I continue to teach Public Speaking, Psychology, and Health Communication today. In 2007 I returned to school for a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. I’ve found I am happiest when I am working with, and for, others. I love to hear people’s stories and Waltham is home to amazing people with incredible stories. We’ve lived in Waltham for almost 6 years, and we absolutely love it here!
JL: What is one of your favourite Waltham memories?
Heather May: My son, Jake, having his very first ever ice cream cone at Pizzi Farm.
JL: What are your hobbies?
Heather May: I play guitar and sing, my husband and I play in a band together called the Dirt Songs.
JL: What has been your previous involvement been in Waltham politics?
Heather May: I was on the Steering Committee of Progressive Waltham, and I am on the Democratic City Committee.
JL: Do you consider yourself a politician?
Heather May: I consider myself someone who’s always been very interested in politics, but I don’t consider myself a politician. I’m interested in the way that policy can be crafted to help people and improve the world we live in. That probably sounds a little dramatic – but being in office is about being a public servant, and when you serve others you are contributing to the greater good.
JL: When and why did you consider running? How does Waltham inspire you?
Heather May: I grew up watching my dad and my grandfather advocate for others in the field of healthcare. I always thought that I would do something similar. Then I competed in debate in college, and still teach debate today, and I found that I really enjoy investigating, researching, and getting to the root cause of an issue in order to find a solution. I wanted to be involved in that process in my local community where I feel you can truly make a difference for people. When my husband and I bought our house in Waltham, I knew that it was home for us and that I wanted to get involved in the community. The most inspiring thing to me in Waltham is, and has always been, the diversity of the people living here. On my block we have a variety of income levels, educational backgrounds, and cultures and I really love that – not all cities in New England are like that, some have a very isolationist mentality, and I have not found that to be true here in Waltham, there is a mutual respect for the members of our community both old and new.
JL: Do you have a particular leadership style?
Heather May: Yes, I believe in progressive, collaborative leadership. There is value in listening to alternative viewpoints and ideas and finding the best solution through working together. This also leads to buy in from more than just one person or one department or one constituency, and that makes solutions work more efficiently and effectively.
JL: Is there anything about local politics that you find particularly challenging?
Heather May: I think it’s hard for anyone to hear about things that are directly impacting their neighbors and not be able to immediately help or change something about the situation. But in politics things often move slower than we would like, and that just means we have to be persistent and keep working!
JL: How much of your time do you spend away from Waltham for work or vacation?
Heather May: I teach at Emerson College downtown 4-5 days a week. During the summers I usually teach a couple of online courses. My schedule is fairly flexible, and as we’ve been renovating our house for the last 3 years we haven’t really taken a vacation in a while.
JL: Is there a main message in your campaign that you would like voters to know?
Heather May: My philosophy for city government is this: my job is to advocate for the improvement of our community through reforms and policies that help those living paycheck to paycheck, families sending their kids off to our schools, and small business owners trying to keep the doors open. It's to make sure that we are taking care of those who have just "breezed" in, and those that have been here for generations. It's working to help students, seniors, veterans, and immigrants - both old and new – to thrive. It's knowing and valuing the fact that regardless of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or economic status, ALL of us are connected through community.
JL: What would you do to create pride in our community?
Heather May: I am hoping, whether elected or not, to start holding a couple of “block” parties a year in Ward 2, and perhaps collaborate with another Ward. I’ve found that meeting my neighbors has been the best part of running for office so far, and I don’t want to see that end.
JL: What do you think is Waltham’s biggest challenge right now, and how would you address it?
Heather May: I don’t think we have one biggest challenge – we have a couple, but the two I would point to are: Resolving the issue of the New High School and getting a detailed process into place for city planning and development so we can be purposeful and thoughtful about what our city will be in the future.
JL: What are some of the things you would focus on?
Heather May:
· Working collaboratively with local organizations to find answers to the affordable housing crisis in our city.
· Balancing our city’s opportunities for development and our deep desire to maintain its unique spirit and history.
· Securing the preservation of the Waltham Fields Community Farm, and working with the Waltham Land Trust to make informed decisions about the protection and conservation of our open spaces.
· Establishing a process for city planning and sustainability. Waltham needs a clear understanding of how we are using our spaces and how they are working together to build a strong, thriving city.
· Creating more transparency in our local government. We should know what our City Council and Mayor are doing for our city, and it should be easy for citizens to access that information.
· Working with small businesses, and entrepreneurs to streamline the permitting process, and create more opportunities for growth of Waltham owned retail.
· Working with the city, public works, and local law enforcement on issues specific to Ward 2: the unsafe speeding along Lake and Lincoln streets, the use of residential side streets as "cut throughs," lack of sidewalks, the deterioration of "Private Ways," and the Piety Corner Intersection.
JL: How would you preserve the integrity of Waltham’s history while leading the city forward?
Heather May: I don’t think you can move forward without acknowledging, understanding and learning from the past. Learning from mistakes and capitalizing on successful initiatives is vital to a growing city like Waltham. We have a beautiful history of innovation here in Waltham, and I think the ways in which the people of this city pushed forward during the industrial revolution we can do the same with our green initiatives, our education plans and our development and conservation efforts!
JL: How important are local museums such as The Telephone Museum on Moody Street and The Waltham Museum on Lexington Street to our culture?
Theresa May: I think preserving important aspects of our history through a coordinated effort such as these museums is always a good idea. I would love to see the museums have a higher profile across the city so that more people can take advantage of everything they have to offer.
JL: What would you do to encourage Science Technology Engineering Math Art and Science (STEAM) in Waltham’s youth?
Heather May: I would start by fully supporting our educational plan. We have a cutting edge, cooperative education plan being implemented as we begin to build the New High School. The Educational plan combines aspects of both traditional education (math, science, etc…) with the more applied aspects of VoTech education (HVAC, Cosmetology, Business management) showing students how STEAM learning objectives fit into their long term future goals is the best way to get them excited about learning and to get the results we want in our schools.
JL: Do you see politics as a career?
Heather May: No. I don’t think politics should be a career. I think I will always love public policy – I teach it right now, I hope to work in it as a City Councilor in the near future, and I will never stop learning and researching how we create, implement and enforce our legislative policies.
JL: Do any former or current Waltham residents inspire you? Why?
Heather May: I had a chance to meet with Marc Rudnick right after I declared my candidacy, and I have to say, I was absolutely blown away by everything that he has done for Waltham! Stewards of the environment are heroes to me (I even married one!) and learning about The Waltham Land Trust, the Waltham Field Station and the Waltham Farmers Market from the person who helped create those things was truly inspiring to me!
JL: Have you learned anything about Waltham during your campaign?
Heather May: I have learned in a very first-hand kind of way that it’s ok for people to disagree with you, even to vehemently disagree with you, around how to get something done. And, I’ve learned that even with that level of disagreement you can still work to find common ground and move forward together. I’ve also learned that Ward 2 has some really intelligent, funny and amazing people living in it!!!
JL: Imagine a future after you have served on the council. How would Waltham be changed?
Heather May: I would hope that after I served on the council, I will have left behind a legacy of what truly transparent leadership looks like and that others in Waltham’s city government will find the courage to continue to engage in transparent leadership.
Heather boxed up half of her burnt ends for her son, and I ordered another cold drink to go with my jalapeños. The afternoon was fading to that orange summer glow. She went one way up Moody Street; I the other, and we both breathed in the warmth of a Waltham weekend just beginning.
For more information about Heather May and her campaign for Ward 2, you may visit her social media links.
Facebook page: Heather May for Ward 2.