More than 110 local officials from communities across Massachusetts serve on the MMA policy committees, which advise the MMA Board of Directors, staff, and MMA members on legislative, regulatory and public policy issues.

The committees also draft resolutions for the MMA’s Annual Business Meeting, municipal best practices for the MMA’s Best Practices series, and bills (biannually) for the MMA’s legislative package.

Each committee has a regular schedule of meetings, usually one per month, at the MMA office. Additionally, committee members may be asked to read legislative summaries, bill text, and/or position papers to prepare for meetings.

Each committee is assigned an MMA staff member to assist with its research, consideration of issues, and administrative functions.

Each committee has 23 members, including mayors, select board members, councillors, city and town managers/administrators, and finance committee members, plus five “presidential appointees” and five technical appointees. Presidential and technical appointees serve one-year terms, while the other members serve three-year terms.

The MMA president names the chair and members of the committee, subject to approval by the MMA Board of Directors.

The following are descriptions of the MMA’s current policy committees and a listing of the members who are serving during 2023:

Fiscal Policy Committee

This committee considers all municipal finance issues. Legislation that has a fiscal impact is referred to this committee from other committees as well. This committee also develops a policy framework for local government financing in the future.

Mayors
Domenic Sarno, Springfield
Arthur Vigeant, Marlborough
Michelle Wu, Boston

Select Boards
Jonathan Chines, Wakefield
Christina Hein, Holliston

Councillors
Lisa Blackmer, North Adams
Andrew Steinberg, Amherst
Brendan Sweeney, Beverly

Managers
John Coderre, Northborough, Chair
Ryan McLane, Carlisle
Connor Read, Easton

Finance Committee
Brian Boyle, Bolton

Presidential
Glenn Cannon, Town Administrator, Rochester
Justin Casanova-Davis, Town Manager, Norfolk
Alicia Greco, Selectman, Newbury
Sandy Pooler, Town Manager, Arlington
Paul Sagarino, Town Administrator, Burlington

Technical
Marilyn Bernardo, Finance Director, Brewster
David Davison, Assistant Town Manager, Needham
Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager, Lexington
Mary MacKinnon, Chief Financial Officer, Bellingham
Ira Miller, Finance Committee, Sharon

Policy Committee on Energy and the Environment

This committee formulates policy in the following areas: water quality, water supply, air quality, solid waste and recycling, hazardous waste, wetlands, coastal areas, wastewater treatment, renewable energy and energy conservation.

Mayors
Mike Cahill, Beverly
Kassandra Gove, Amesbury
Jon Mitchell, New Bedford

Select Boards
Susan Bunnell, Wilbraham
Mark Sandeen, Lexington
Julie Smith-Galvin, Wakefield

Councillors
Melanie Hamblen, Franklin
Afroz Khan, Newburyport
Michael Ossing, Marlborough, Chair

Managers
Antonio Barletta, Nahant
Evan Brassard, Grafton
Gregory Johnson, Maynard

Finance Committee
Jonathan Harris, Weston

Presidential
Bill Fitzgerald, Public Works Director, Avon
Nancy Goulart, Stormwater Committee, Dighton
Emily Norton, Councillor, Newton
Geraldine Herlihy, Select Board, Holden
Neil Rhein, Select Board, Mansfield

Technical
Alison Brizius, Commissioner of Environment, Boston
Robert Goober, Weston & Sampson
John Giorgio, attorney, KP Law
Janet Hartke Bowser, Conservation Commission, Dover
Jackie McCarthy, Select Board, Reading

Policy Committee on Municipal and Regional Administration

This committee considers issues that relate to the organization, structure, efficiency, and productivity of local and regional government and the relationships between the two levels of government. Issues include housing and zoning, procurement, economic development, regulation of marijuana, open meeting law and public records law, public health and safety, and licensing.

Mayors
Brian Arrigo, Revere
Nicole LaChapelle, Easthampton
Linda Tyer, Pittsfield, Chair

Select boards
Dottie Fulginiti, Easton
Yolanda Greaves, Ashland
Edward McManus, Harwich

Councillors
Lisle Baker, Newton
Mandi Jo Hanneke, Amherst
Paul Toner, Cambridge

Managers
Stephen Maio, Wakefield
Ari Sky, Lakeville
Shaun Suhoski, Athol

Finance Committee
Kevin Sullivan, Hanson

Presidential
Robert Dean, Director of Regional Services, Franklin Regional Council of Governments
Andrew Hogeland, Select Board Member, Williamstown
Geoffrey Kravitz, Town Administrator, Sunderland
Christopher Senior, Town Manager, Cohasset
Marc Strange, Town Administrator, Ludlow

Technical
Stephanie Danielson, Director of Planning and Economic Development, Easton
Catherine Goldrick, Board of Public Health, Holbrook
Tristan Israel, Commissioner, Dukes County
Jennifer Raitt, Northern Middlesex Council of Governments
Michael Richards, Director of A&F and Infrastructure Management, Somerville

Policy Committee on Personnel and Labor Relations

This committee considers issues in the following areas: collective bargaining, civil service, employee benefits, and pension reform.

Mayors
Scott Galvin, Woburn
Jeannette A. McCarthy, Waltham
William Reichelt, West Springfield

Select Boards
Paul DeRensis, Sherborn
Christine Hoyt, Adams
Mary Jane Mastrangelo, Bourne

Councillors
Barry Sanders, Taunton
Jessica Sizer, Palmer

Managers
James Boudreau, Scituate
Paul Cohen, Chelmsford
Anthony Mazzucco, Norwood, Chair

Finance Committee
Mary McBride, Billerica

Presidential
Jennifer Breaker, Assistant Town Manager, Danvers
Denise Casey, Deputy Town Manager, North Andover
Scott Lambiase, Town Manager, Abington
Mary Lauria, Finance Director, Grafton
Michael Mullen, Town Administrator, Dighton

Technical
Troy Clarkson, Chief Financial Officer, Brockton
Dolores Hamilton, Assistant Town Administrator, Stow
Sheila Keady-Rawson, Personnel Director, Cambridge
Katie King, Assistant Town Manager, Needham
Michelle Pizzi O’Brien, Human Resources Director, Newton

Policy Committee on Public Works, Transportation and Public Utilities

This committee considers the wide range of issues related to public works, with an emphasis on transportation. Topics include the relationship between municipalities and utility companies and state departments; funding for roads, bridges and water infrastructure; DPW workforce topics; transportation planning, and more.

Mayors
Ted Bettencourt, Peabody
Paul Brodeur, Melrose

Select Boards
James Lovejoy, Mount Washington, Chair
Joseph Pato, Lexington
Alan Slavin, Wareham

Councillors
Zac Bears, Medford
Andreae Downs, Newton
John McLaughlin, Waltham

Managers
Paul Bockelman, Amherst
William Caldwell, Sterling
Fidel Maltez, Reading

Finance Committee

Presidential
Nathan Boudreau, Town Administrator, Hubbardston
Brutus Cantoreggi, Director of Public Works, Franklin
Kathryn Coughlin, Select Board Member, Natick
Jeremy Marsette, Town Administrator, Sherborn
Kerry Reed, Assistant Commissioner of Engineering, Worcester

Technical
Richard Benevento, Tighe & Bond, Parking and Traffic Commission, Beverly
Alan Cathcart, Public Works Director, Concord
Joseph Flanagan, Public Works Director, Dedham
David Knowlton, Director of Public Services/City Engineer, Salem
William Scully, Kimley-Horn & Associates