In late 2024 while my sister Emily and I were visiting the wonderful town of Plymouth for the holidays, our mother Deb Iaquinto confidently declared:
“I’m going to run for Select Board in the upcoming town election.”
Our initial reaction was a mix of “What?!” and, “Are you sure?”
She had “retired” from her high-octane consulting career in 2013, only to subsequently un-retire a few months later, complete a second master’s degree, un-retire again, and go to work in primary education as an ESL teacher – a position in which she’s approached every day in the classroom with the same thoughtfulness, enthusiasm, and preparation as any major client meeting from her days as a consultant.
Those initial reactions very quickly evolved into a sense of curiosity and pride for us. As the election cycle unfolded, we were fascinated to learn about the commitment required for local elections. (To our amazement, it’s a lot more than just ordering lawn signs!)
Education was always at the forefront of our mom’s values. While outcomes are obviously important, the process and journey of learning was always treated with equal emphasis.
Recently, Emily and I have come to appreciate how organized and detail-oriented our mom was during our adolescence. As a single mother raising the two of us while working full-time, she served as both the chief budgeting and decision-making officers of our home with great success. We never saw her break a sweat, regardless of pressure.
It made perfect sense to us when she joined Plymouth’s Open Space Committee. We were always taught to both appreciate and respect the natural resources around us. When I was six and Emily was four, we were both encouraged to enter a conservation photography contest, in which my masterpiece “Ducks in the Moonlight” (a very literal title) won third place (sorry, Emily).
What’s our main takeaway in observing how an election unfolds? For better or worse, local elections have consequences. Plymouth is an amazing town with an exceptionally bright future, so please ensure you make your voice heard on May 17.
– Jake Hart