Newton Candidate Profile: Alicia Bowman For City Council

NEWTON, MA — With the Newton Municipal Election scheduled for Nov. 7, Patch is profiling the candidates.

Here, we learn more about Alicia Bowman, who is an incumbent running for reelection as an at-large city councilor representing Ward 6. Bowman was elected to the first of her two-year terms in 2019.

Bowman has been a management consultant in the financial industry and served as a community advocate.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Name

Alicia Bowman

How old will you be as of Election Day?

58

Does your campaign have a website?

http://aliciabowman.org/

What city or town do you live in?

Newton

What office are you seeking?

City Councilor

District

Ward 6 At-Large

Party affiliation

Democrat

Education

BA in economics from the University of Maryland, MBA from Carnegie Mellon

Occupation

10 years as a management consultant in the financial service industry
15 years as a community advocate
4 years as a city councilor

Family

My husband Jeff Bowman grew up in Newton Highlands the son of a Newton teacher. We have three children who are now mostly grown and flown. Their future is bright given the great education they received from Newton Public Schools, which is why I think it is critical to fully fund our schools.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

I do not have any family members in politics or the government.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

Prior to my being elected four years ago, I had never held a public office.

Why are you seeking this office?

I ran for City Council in 2019 because we needed more councilors willing and able to lead on the increasingly complex issues facing Newton, especially housing, transportation and climate change. I continue to focus my work on these critical issues as well as schools, seniors, and people with disabilities.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___ and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is quality of life and this is what I have done about it. I have strongly supported better planning and investments in our roads to make them safer for people walking, biking and driving. This includes getting the city to fund a Bike and Pedestrian Masterplan, pushing for the funding of safer pedestrian crossings with flashing beacons, projects on Albemarle, Washington Street, Comm Avenue and Hammond Pond Parkway. Other efforts include investing in our parks, be it big projects like Levingston Cove on Crystal Lake, accessible pathways around parks or the creation of pollinator gardens in public parks. I also strongly support the continued rebuilding of schools, including most recently Lincoln Eliot, Horace Mann, and Countryside. Lastly, I have been a longtime supporter of improving senior services and thus support the new senior center.

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

I have the leadership experience, knowledge and network necessary to do this job well. I recognize that the city is facing a number of critical issues including housing, transportation, climate, increasing senior population, economic growth, and maintaining excellent schools given increasingly constrained finances. And I am a leader who is working to help the city tackle these issues and move Newton forward.

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

Before I was elected to the City Council four years ago, I had spent 15 years as a community advocate, working to make it safer for students and other residents to walk and bike. I developed a deep understanding of issues, how to get things done and a strong network of people. Prior to that, I had been a management consultant for 10 years. These experiences made it easy for me to be an effective councilor from day one.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Listen more than you talk.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am proud of the work I have done on the Council in my four years. I have fought hard for important improvements to our streets, greener buildings, more housing, especially affordable housing and schools. But I am most proud of my efforts to amplify the voices of critical populations including people with disabilities.