Andover Select Board Vice Chair Laura Gregory and School Committee member Lauren Conoscenti have withdrawn nomination papers, signaling they will run for reelection in the town election scheduled for March 28.
In a statement, Gregory pointed to work at addressing the coronavirus pandemic, her work in improving diversity and helping to create the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission, as well as the town’s DIVERSE department in her most recent, three-year term.
“My knowledge as a practicing lawyer continues to be useful in providing context and strategy to the Board in decision making and negotiations,” she said. I am seeking to continue my work on the Board to represent all of Andover’s residents and businesses, working to promote business growth, while maintaining Andover’s green space.
Gregory’s complete statement is published at the end of this article.
Gregory was first elected to the select board in 2017 and served as chair in 2019. She is a civil litigation attorney whose practice focuses on insurance coverage and bad faith litigation. Conoscenti was first elected to the school committee in 2020. She is the assistant head of school for analytic support and assessment at Phillips Academy Andover.
As previously reported, Keith Saxon plans to challenge Moderator Sheila Doherty in the March election. It will be the third time Saxon has challenged Doherty since 2018, not counting 2021, when he received seven write-in votes. Last year, he received 39.9 percent of the vote. His best finish was in 2018, when he received 41.9 percent of the vote.
“I am running to make Town Meeting better, fairer….and accessible for ALL of Andover citizens so that they can maintain their power and fulfill their roles as citizen legislators,” Saxon said in an email Sunday. Saxon also has a campaign Website.
Update, Jan. 7: In an email, Conoscenti said she was excited to run for re-election and “eager to continue the hard, but rewarding, work of ensuring Andover Public Schools is a beacon of community pride — now and for generations to come.”
She pointed to some of the board’s and her contributions during her first term, including the hiring of Superintendent Magda Parvey, raising support for town meeting approval of funds to cover budget overruns at the West Elementary School construction project, and her work to be a “thoughtful steward of taxpayer money” as the board deliberated over budgets.
“In the next several years, I’m looking forward to continued work in advancing a number of high-priority projects, including a new or renovated Andover High School facility, a revamped middle school schedule, and our continued recovery from the impact of a life-altering pandemic,” she said.
Conoscenti’s complete statement is published at the end of this article.
Key Dates For The 2023 Town Election
The town election is scheduled for March 28. The last day to register to vote in the 2023 Andover election is March 18, 2023. You can register to vote online or by visiting the Town Clerk’s office.
If you plan to run for office, you have until February 7 to submit nomination papers and until February 23 to withdraw. The election warrant is published and posted on March 14.
Candidates have to pick up nomination papers in-person from the Town Clerk. Candidates must be 18 or older, a U.S. citizen, a registered voter and an Andover resident. Candidates will be required to file a statement with their name, address and the office they are seeking before they can receive nomination papers.
Laura Gregory’s Statement On Running For Re-Election
“I’m proud to have been a member of the Select Board for six years, and excited to seek my third elected term. During this last term I have been instrumental in the initial response of the town and Select Board to the COVID pandemic, including chairing the Board for the first six months of the shutdown. I was also involved in the creation of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission and the DIVERSE department in the Town, as well as the hiring of Andover’s first sustainability coordinator. During the last three years we have gained the support of voters to address the town’s long-standing pension liabilities through Pension Obligation Bonds, ensuring Andover’s future fiscal security. My knowledge as a practicing lawyer continues to be useful in providing context and strategy to the Board in decision making and negotiations. I am seeking to continue my work on the Board to represent all of Andover’s residents and businesses, working to promote business growth, while maintaining Andover’s green space.”
Lauren Conoscenti’s Statement On Running For Re-Election
Yes, I’m excited to run for a second term! I am eager to continue the hard, but rewarding, work of ensuring Andover Public Schools is a beacon of community pride — now and for generations to come.
The Committee has accomplished a lot during my first term, including hiring a new Superintendent and gaining community support and funding for a new West Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool. I’ve also worked hard to be a responsible and thoughtful steward of taxpayer money in settling the operating budget. This has included making focused investments in curricular areas from math to music to mental health supports, while also reducing or eliminating burdensome fees that have troubled families for decades.
I’m also proud of my accessibility and the work I’ve done to inform and connect with the community. In particular, I regularly post updates about Committee work and other local events and issues to my Facebook site (https://www.facebook.com/laurenforandover/), which I hope has been a useful resource for people.
In the next several years, I’m looking forward to continued work in advancing a number of high-priority projects, including a new or renovated Andover High School facility, a revamped middle school schedule, and our continued recovery from the impact of a life-altering pandemic.
Sheila Doherty’s Statement On Running For Re-Election As Moderator
I did pull papers in November and filed them in early December. I am running again for re-election. I look forward to working on the key recommendations made by the Town Government Study Committee that Pertain to Town Meeting.
Keith Saxon’s Statement On Running For Moderator
I am running to make Town Meeting better, and fairer (same rules/times for all) & accessible for ALL of Andover citizens so that they can maintain their power and fulfill their roles as citizen legislators.
To better answer the question, I’ve attached the following:
a) Link to my campaign website: www.saxonformoderator.com
b) Link (w/attached copy of article) – Patch Candidate profile from 2022: Keith M. Saxon, Andover Moderator Candidate | Andover, MA Patch
c) Handout from 2022 that summarizes improvements to be made: