Many Incumbents Bow Out Of Wayland 2023 Election

WAYLAND, MA — The 2023 Wayland election will mean major changes on several key town boards, including the school committee and select board.

The filing deadline for the April 25 election passed on Tuesday, and seven incumbents did not file to run for reelection this year — including a school committee member named in a discrimination filing by Superintendent Omar Easy.

Longtime select board member and current chair Cherry Karlson, first elected in 2014, will not run in 2023, opening up a three-way race for two seats. Incumbent Dave Watkins will seek reelection.

On the school committee, four candidates have signed up to run for two open seats. Neither Chair Chris Ryan, first elected in 2020, nor member Jeanne Downs, first elected in 2014, opted to run for reelection.

As chair of the school committee, Ryan and Vice Chair Ellen Grieco were named in Easy's Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination filing last month. Ryan and Grieco — who isn't up for reelection this year — were also a part of the committee that hired Easy in 2021.

Other incumbents not running in 2023: longtime Moderator Dennis Berry, with personnel board member Miranda Jones running unopposed for the job; health board member Arnold Soslow; recreation commission member Leanne Mason; and trust fund commissioner Nicole Cissell.

Here are the seats that will be up for election in 2023. The candidates below may not necessarily seek reelection, but are the ones currently holding the listed seats:

Select Board (2 seats, 3-year term)

• Anne Brensley
• William Whitney
• Dave Watkins (i)

Board of Assessors (2 seats, 3-year term)

• Maryann Wohlfarth
• Massimo Taurisano (i)
• Philip David Parks (i)

Board of Health (2 seats, 3-year term)

• Robery Eyre (i)
• Jonathan Storer

Board of Library Trustees (2 seats, 3-year term)

• Aida Gennis (i)
• Leah Hart (i)

Board of Public Works (one seat, 3-year term)

• George Uveges (i)

Board of Public Works (one seat, 2-year term due to vacancy)

• Tsung Chiang (i)

Moderator (1 seat, 3-year term)

• Miranda Jones

Planning Board (1 seat, 5-year term)

• Albert Montague Jr. (i)

Planning Board (1 seat, 1-year term due to vacancy)

• Prashant Shukla

Recreation Commission (1 seat, 3-year term)

• Mark Norton

School Committee (2 seats, 3-year term)

• Erin Mueller
• Christina Rodrigo
• Craig Gruber
• Dovie King

Trust Fund Commission (1 seat, 3-year term)

• No candidate

Housing Authority (1 seat, 5-year term)

• Marie Isenburg