Susse To Seek Seat On Select Board

Arlington MA

18 December, 2020

4:02 PM

Description

Your Arlington Last Updated: 17 December 2020 Written by Bob Sprague UPDATED, Dec. 17: Jennifer Susse, who served two terms on the School Committee, says she plans to seek a seat on the Select Board in the April town election. "I just wanted to let you know that I have decided to run," she told YourArlington on Wednesday, Dec. 16. She plans to address questions and outline plans later. She took out nominating papers the same day. A board seat opened up on Nov. 30, when Joseph A. Curro Jr., a member of the Select Board since 2012, announced that he would not to seek reelection, citing family and professional reasons. Select Board Chair John V. Hurd, whose terms in April, has taken out papers and plans to announce for reelection at the Dec. 21 board meeting. Last January, with then-newcomer Liz Exton taking out papers, Susse announced she was not seeking reelection to a third three-year term the School Committee. Exton subsequently won the seat. Asked at the time why she was stepping down, Susse called committee membership "enormously valuable," but "exhausting." She said her interests have veered in other directions -- toward the environment, voting as well as housing and zoning issues. She is involved with the Arlington chapter of Mothers Out Front and Town Meeting's election modernization committee, which she may have to leave when her School Committee term ends. Last year, she helped the campaign to elect Len Diggins to the Select Board. Asked at the time about the positive initiatives in which she has been involved during her time on the committeed since 2014, she cited communication efforts, both publicly and privately, and work to address rising enrollment. The former philosophy professor came to town in 2008. She works part time doing accounts/bookkeeping for Janet Peluso, daughter of Town Meeting member Ted Peluso. In the 2017 town election, Susse topped the three winners, with 1,984 votes, followed by Bill Hayner (1,955) and Paul Schlichtman (1,902). In 2014, she placed first, with 3,646 votes, followed by Hayner (3,131), Schlichtman (3,102) and Michael Buckley (2,268). YourArlington.com has provided news and opinion about Arlington, Mass., since 2006. Publisher Bob Sprague is a former editor at The Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Arlington Advocate. Read more at https://www.yourarlington.com/about.