I've lived in Brookline for over 30 years. With my wife Elizabeth Skavish, a professional classical pianist, we have raised our two children here; both attended the Heath (now Hayes) School. In 2011, I sold the software and services startup I co-founded with my brother in 1985 and built into a successful global business employing almost 400 people. In 2014, I deepened my leadership skills at the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative alongside other accomplished leaders from all over the world. Subsequently, I became wholeheartedly involved in public service at the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization and as a trustee of two schools providing opportunity for underserved students. Currently, I am a Town Meeting Member in Precinct 13, and I led the Yes! in Brookline coalition to forge meaningful compliance with the MBTA Communities Act, expanding housing and economic development in our transit corridors.
I was inspired to run for Town Meeting through my involvement in the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization's Housing Justice campaign. We advocated for the construction of an additional 300 affordable housing units in Brookline. I live in Precinct 13, which includes the Route 9 Corridor and the Brookline Village MBTA station, both areas with significant redevelopment potential.
In fall of 2023, Brookline faced a major legislative issue: Massachusetts required our community to pass zoning and land-use reforms to comply with the statewide MBTA Communities Act (MBTA-CA) before the required December 31st deadline. Failure by Town Meeting to pass any plan would likely result in costly lawsuits brought by the state, and could imperil funding for important services and programs.
I formed the Yes! in Brookline coalition to bring together residents, businesses, and community leaders to not just comply with the law, but use it as a chance to meaningfully permit housing and economic development on our major transit corridors.
Throughout summer and fall of 2023, I met with dozens of Town Meeting members to listen to their views on the matter, and advocated at public meetings for meaningful compliance, allowing more homes to be created. As a leader of the Yes! in Brookline coalition, I helped Town Meeting pass a plan that permitted greater residential density in our transit corridors, with more than 84% of Town Meeting members voting in favor.
On the Select Board, I will continue efforts to expand housing availability. I also plan to champion the economic development necessary to grow Brookline's commercial tax base, reducing the burden of residential property tax.
My leadership on issues with public consequences is fueled by my belief that complex problems can be addressed through the kinds of collaborations that increase efficiency while meeting the requirements of a diverse set of stakeholders.
My public service career of more than a decade has given me an understanding of the many complex challenges in the public sector, as well as afforded me the opportunity to develop skills that I can bring to bear as a candidate for Select Board.
These efforts included tackling systemic challenges, bringing people together and making organizations more effective. I bring this same spirit of collaboration and accountability to every challenge I take on.
My ability to identify and solve complex problems dates back further, and includes my career as an entrepreneur of a tech start-up that became a successful global business.
In 1985 I moved to Boston and founded CambridgeSoft with my brother. Using the new graphical user interfaces that everyone takes for granted today, we provided software for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and chemical industries to help them innovate and communicate efficiently. Over the next 25 years we grew our two-person startup into a thriving software and services business providing work for almost 400 people.
Drawing on my background in computer science, I developed the first broadly used electronic notebook for pharmaceutical research that was later used by large pharma companies, improving productivity by 17% and reducing errors in the reporting of results. I learned to build teams to find creative solutions that increase efficiency while meeting the requirements of a diverse set of stakeholders. CambridgeSoft was acquired in 2011.
In 2014, I attended Harvard University as a fellow in the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative. I joined a cohort of 37 leaders with decades of experience in business, government, education, law, medicine and other fields. We developed understanding and skills necessary to lead in situations where goals are unclear, roles are undefined and direction and vision are lacking. I also completed coursework at the Kennedy School to learn more about how our government works, and a class in the Business School on intersection of business, energy, regulation and the environment.
My experiences leading a large company and my training in community organizing both taught me a valuable lesson for public service: engaging stakeholders and building effective teams to deliver results are critical to making durable change.
My educational journey has spanned diverse settings, from public schools in California, to Bangkok International School in Thailand, to the Idyllwild Arts Academy in the San Jacinto Mountains of California, where I studied piano and theater.
I earned my degree in technical theater and computer science at Oberlin College. This diverse background and training has informed my creative approach to problem-solving. After graduation, I began my career at a software startup, which eventually led me to co-found my own company.
I married my wife Elizabeth Skavish in 1988, and we moved to Brookline in 1993. She performed as a professional classical pianist in the Boston area for over 20 years, and is now a piano teacher working with dedicated students from elementary school through college. We raised our two children, both of whom attended the Heath (now Hayes) School and Brookline High.