I am writing to support Marie Sobalvarro’s candidacy for selectman (see www.selectmarie.org). I see Marie as an outstanding leader, problem solver, and collaborator who brings to our town a truly unique blend of attributes and experience.
I think Marie’s background is ideally suited to the role. She has already served our town with honor on the Finance Committee, where, among other things, she was liaison to the Council on Aging. She’s the only non-Harvard employee who has been involved with an effort to reevaluate the town’s options for health care benefits, which could conceivably bring great savings to the town without sacrificing quality of care, or other important town services. She is co-author of a formal request to the commonwealth for the most detailed and clear information on Devens. She has worked tirelessly on Beacon Hill to bring Harvard more Chapter 70 state aid for education, and for greater state funding for special education. She was director of our first townwide Volunteer Fair.
Her effectiveness as a town activist is no surprise, given her business success as a senior consultant at Andersen (now Accenture) and a manager of solutions and services at Deloitte. And her senior roles in two of the top consulting firms was no surprise, given that she achieved a 3.9 GPA out of 4.0 in graduating with her MBA from BU.
At a time when we find ourselves confronting override decisions at every budget cycle, Marie is someone who will bring her deep knowledge of finance, data and problem analysis, and the character and workings of our community to the challenge of understanding the underlying structural deficiencies and creating long-term solutions.
At a time when we are faced with critical decisions around the disposition and handling of Devens, Marie will bring a preservationist’s love, a parent’s concern, and a negotiator’s tenacity to the task of ensuring we have the most informed decision-making process and the most beneficial, sustainable outcome.
She’s open. She cares deeply. She reaches out and listens. She has great ideas and can articulate them brilliantly. She’s incredibly persistent. She’s that rare breed of optimist who’s also well-informed and realistic.
This is why she’ll have my vote on April 1.
Bob Eiland
Harris Lane
