Submitted by Committee to Elect Laura Marwill

Laura English Marwill is a familiar face around town. You may see her at church, attending her children’s school or athletic events, running the July 4th Road Race, walking in Wompatuck State Park or grabbing a sandwich at South Shore Country Club. The Hingham native also announced her candidacy for Town Clerk. Eileen McCracken has faithfully served as Hingham’s Town Clerk for more than two decades and announced her retirement in December.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to continue to serve the residents of Hingham and all who enter our town,” Marwill said. “The office of the Town Clerk is considered the center of local government.  In addition to the vital role overseeing elections, the Town Clerk also serves as town record keeper, and plays an important role offering guidance and support to members of our community.  Those who come to the Town Clerk’s office should feel welcome, respected and confident that their concerns will be heard.  It’s a position I’ve given a lot of thought to pursuing once the time was right – and that time is now.”

Marwill has served Hingham and its civic organizations for many years, including as a poll worker and warden at four recent elections. She served Linden Ponds as a poll worker during the Presidential primary, and then as a warden at Hingham High School during the spring town elections. She was a warden again at HHS during the Massachusetts state primary and served as warden at Hingham Middle School during the 2020 Presidential election in November.

“While working as a warden at the polls during the elections this fall, I was struck by the similarities between election day and my days working on the trading floor. Once the markets opened and the phones started ringing, I was under pressure to be fast, accurate, friendly and organized, and to know and follow all the regulations and ethical standards related to my job.”

A graduate of the College of the Holy Cross with a B.A. in Spanish, Marwill went on to become a FINRA Series 7 and 63 licensed Registered Representative while employed at BankBoston in the Capital Markets Group. She earned her Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2001.

“I had a daily seat on the bond market trading floor, working under high pressure in a highly regulated environment,” Marwill said. She went on to add she is comfortable working under strict government oversight while maintaining the highest ethical standards.

An appointee to the Advisory Committee during the difficult years following the 2008 financial crisis, Marwill later served on the Planning Board’s Accessory Dwelling Unit Study Committee. She has been a member of the League of Women Voters, served as Treasurer of the Bradley Park Association, Chair of the Hingham Republican Town Committee, and is a new member of the Lion’s Club’s volunteer initiative, “Hingham Harborworks,” to restore Hingham’s Fourth of July fireworks.

“I’ve personally experienced many of the reasons that bring people to the Town Clerk’s office,” shared Marwill. “I’ll draw on that experience along with my professional experience to continue to provide the same level of service and integrity without interruption.”

Marwill is currently the Treasurer of Sturtevant, Inc. Laura and her husband, Roger, who works for Teledoc Health, live in Bradley Park. She and their three children all attended Hingham Public Schools. Joe is a junior at Babson College, Evan is a freshman at Mass Maritime Academy, and Sam is a junior at Hingham High. In her spare time, she enjoys running and yoga, and ballroom dancing with her husband.

“No, you won’t see me on Dancing with the Stars, but I can do a lot backwards and in high heels,” she said with a wink.

HINGHAM RESIDENT AND ELECTORAL COLLEGE MEMBER COLLECTS TOILETRIES FOR FATHER BILL’S HOMELESS SHELTER

Submitted by Joe Kelly

Joe Kelly, Electoral College member, collected and distributed toiletries to Father Bill’s Homeless Shelter in Quincy as part of a national day of service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Kelly organized over one hundred local families to contribute hygiene and sanitary products to residents of Father Bill’s over the last week. 

“First and foremost, I’d like to thank the staff at Father Bill’s for all of the work you do,” Kelly said. “Homelessness and food insecurity are all around us, and I’m grateful that we have such a robust effort to help our friends and neighbors in the community.” 

“I’d also like to thank my friends and family in Hingham who stepped up to contribute when I put out the call. These are challenging times for all of us and I’m humbled that folks stepped up in such a big way to help with this cause. It really means so much to me.” 

Kelly is no stranger to community volunteerism. He organizes an annual care package drive for his union, IBEW Local 103, that has placed more than 5,000 packages directly in the hands of the deployed men & women of our armed forces. Additionally, he currently serves on Hingham’s Public Safety Building Committee and the Personnel Board. Kelly stated that bringing volunteerism to the forefront in the community is a priority. 

“I’d like to keep initiatives like these going into the future,” Kelly concluded. “There are people who need help in Hingham and beyond, and we will help them. There are people who can help in Hingham and beyond, and we’ll continue to work with them to provide relief. There’s plenty of work to be done ahead of us, and I’m determined to put in that work whether it’s addressing the needs of people who are homeless or ensuring our school district remains competitive. This day of service has shown me that our community is looking to do that work.”

Many people ask why I would choose this year to seek election. The easy answer is that I love Hingham and want to serve our community. But it’s more than that. The past year has been very difficult for most of us due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. It has exposed so many flaws in our systems. I am seeking the privilege of serving in a significant role in town government to address these flaws and to tackle the many challenges we face, from recovering from Covid-19 to the ongoing threat of climate change. One of our biggest issues will be balancing the level of services our citizens expect and deserve with the available funding sources, while at the same time maintaining our AAA bond rating. As part of Hingham’s Master Plan Committee, I have had direct exposure to the issues facing our town as well as the opportunities we can pursue over the next 10 to 15 years.

Since moving to Hingham fifteen years ago, I have been an active participant and leader in the community. My town experience includes service on the Hingham Master Plan Committee (Board of Selectmen Appointee), Hingham Downtown Association (Executive Director), Hingham’s 375th Anniversary Committee, the Hingham Women’s Club (President, Treasurer), South School PTO (Secretary, Fundraising Chair), School Council, Hingham Newcomers Board (Social Chair), and the Hingham Education Foundation (Communications Director). My other volunteer experience encompasses work with organizations such as South Shore Conservatory, Hingham Food Pantry, Friends of the Homeless of the South Shore, South Shore Stars, Hingham Youth Soccer, and Cradles to Crayons.  

As a member of the Hingham Master Plan Committee, I have had the honor of working with citizen leaders from the Recreation Commission, School Committee, Board of Appeals, Conservation Commission, Affordable Housing Trust, Board of Health, Harbor Development Committee, Development and Industrial Committee, and the Historic Districts Commission. For the past 18 months, I have researched, discussed, and prioritized the goals and actions outlined in the Hingham Master Plan. The depth and breadth of this knowledge coupled with many hours spent eliciting feedback from Hingham citizens will enable me to hit the ground running as a member of the Board of Selectmen.

My extensive experience and collaborative leadership style will benefit both the Board of Selectmen and our town. While recovering from the pandemic is an immediate challenge, over the long term my children and their education have been and will continue to be my passion. I’m confident I can have a positive impact on the relationship between the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee. The Hingham Public Schools are one of our greatest assets, and we must sustain their excellence while also supporting our children academically, socially, and emotionally. I commit to approaching our town’s challenges with a focus on what is best for all of Hingham.

After graduating from the University of Richmond with a BSBA in Finance, my career began as a financial services consultant at Accenture working with Fortune 500 clients. Over the past 20 years, I have worked on projects of all sizes in strategic planning, corporate education, marketing strategy, and human resources. Throughout my volunteer and professional experience, I have a strong track record of working well with people who hold different perspectives to achieve common goals. 

Hingham is my family’s home. We feel fortunate to be part of this wonderful community. We also feel we should give back to a community that has opened its arms to us. My husband Scott and I are raising our two children, both students at Hingham Middle School, to understand that civic responsibility and active participation in the community are integral components of Hingham’s success. It is these deeply held values that motivate me to step up and seek election this year. I look forward to the opportunity to hear from all of you during this campaign and to earning your vote. Please contact me at liz@4hingham.com and follow my campaign on Facebook and Instagram for more details.