Andover Candidate Profile: Laura Gregory For Select Board

ANDOVER, MA — The Town of Andover's Annual Town Election is on March 28.

This year, four offices are on the ballot: Town Moderator, Select Board member, School Committee member and Punchard Free School trustees (two seats).

Here are more details about the upcoming election.

Patch is profiling some of the candidates. Today, we learn more about Laura Gregory, who is seeking re-election to the Select Board. She is running against Kevin Coffey.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Your Name

Laura Gregory

Campaign websitesocial media

Lmeyergregory@yahoo.com; https://gregoryforandover.com/; and https://www.facebook.com/GregoryForAndover

Age (as of Election Day)

55

Office sought

Re-election to the Andover Select Board

Family

I have 2 adult daughters and an airedale terrier

Education

Grinnell College B.A.; University of Iowa J.D.

Occupation

Civil litigation attorney for over 30 years. I am a partner in a Boston law firm.

Previous or current elected or appointed office

I have been on the Select Board for 6 years and previously was on the Reading Zoning Board of Appeals.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am committed to my work on the Select Board because I take pride in our town and find fulfillment in being of service to our community.

Describe the issues that define your campaign platform

Balance is important, and making good decisions for Andover's future requires weighing a wide-range of needs. My track record of representing diverse opinions comes from knowing the challenges in our community can best be addressed through collaboration. Select Board members have to be willing to foster consensus to make the hard decisions which are in the best interests of the town.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My experience on the Select Board allows me to acknowledge that there are rarely easy answers, and every solution has its pros and cons. Successful decisions come from exploring issues in depth, weighing diverse perspectives and incorporating feedback. Authenticity, empathy and flexibility are necessary to represent our community and its wide range of needs, and I will continue to demonstrate those traits.

If you are an incumbent, how long have you served in this position and what are your major accomplishments while in office?

I first ran for the Select Board in 2017 to refocus the Board back to doing the business of the town and representing the needs of all Andover residents. At that time, there was distrust among the boards, rather than respect for differing opinions and willingness to work together to seek compromises that are best for our town. We are in a much better place today. I am proud of what I have helped accomplish on behalf of Andover residents.

During my tenure on the Select Board, I have:

• Supported facility upgrades including Ballardvale Fire Station, Municipal Services Building, the Robb Center, West Elementary & Shawsheen
• Enabled responsible development
• Advanced sustainability projects
• Developed policy to make our community more inclusive
• Improved financial health through funding of long-term liabilities, while keeping the average tax increase within the ten-year average

I have also been involved in addressing two significant crises — the gas explosions and the pandemic (neither of which was much fun for any of us).

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In expanding on my list of accomplishments from the last question, I'll note Select Board members do not have the luxury of focusing on only a few domains. Decisions require knowledge of tax levers, water and sewer rates, municipal finance, construction phasing, telecommunication laws, health insurance costs, state highway funding, zoning requirements, community needs and desires, legal obligations and limitations and much more.

The evidence I can handle the job in the future comes from looking at my past track record of diving into issues, learning quickly, listening actively, questioning wisely and deciding collaboratively.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Critical decisions will be made in the next three years to guide our town for decades to come. The Select Board will have an important role in building facilities that provide Andover students modern learning environments, accelerating infrastructure upgrades including water, exploring development of improved recreational facilities, and bringing the vision for "old town yard" to fruition. These projects can only be successfully accomplished with broad input from the Andover community, and I am committed to seeking out and listening to feedback from all constituents.