Leadership for Community

A life-long resident, I grew up in a hardworking union family, and have deep respect for the balance needed to advance our town responsibly. I am deeply connected to what makes Dedham a great place to live in — a strong sense of community, civic engagement, and town pride. Now, as a parent of three children, a working professional, a Town Meeting Member, and a caregiver, I see the opportunities and challenges facing Dedham and I want to move our town forward with positive solutions that benefit the whole community. 

For over twenty years, I have worked in government and nonprofit organizations including the state’s Department of Health and the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition. I’ve improved the health of communities and prioritized organizational needs and goals, while managing balanced budgets and increasing external funding. I will bring that expertise and passion to move policies forward that improve our community spaces, town trash disposal, and expand engagement and housing for older adults, among other things. 

The challenges our town faces demand vision and informed and innovative decision making. As your Select Board representative, I will focus on using community feedback, research and data to set priorities and goals. I will work to coordinate needs and resources across these various responsible organizations to best serve our town. I will engage committees, staff, and residents to gather information, and track progress to achieve results and keep residents informed, as well as to understand obstacles to some decision making. It’s critical that we have vision and seek innovative solutions to necessary improvements in our town, while stewarding our financial resources responsibly and effectively.

If you want a strong Dedham community and a leader with vision who embraces our roots and our future opportunities, I urge you to vote for me, Erin Boles Welsh, for Select Board on April 9th.