Created by the Massachusetts League of Cities and Towns in 1970, the Women Elected Municipal Officials Committee (WEMO) was one of the first associations of women public officials in the United States.

WEMO is under the umbrella of the MMA and is led by a volunteer committee of female mayors, select board members and city councillors. The MMA is a nonpartisan organization, therefore WEMO is not aimed at helping women get elected. Rather, WEMO events support women in their roles as elected officials, providing opportunities for leadership development and networking.

The group’s most popular event is the annual WEMO Leadership Luncheon, held during the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show each January. The luncheon, which features a keynote speaker, celebrates women elected and appointed local officials in cities and towns across the Commonwealth. Past speakers include former Public Safety Secretary Andrea Cabral, minister and former news anchor Liz Walker, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, and Maura Healey when she was attorney general.

2024 WEMO Committee members
Chair: Valerie Gilman, city councillor, Gloucester
First vice chair: Yolanda Greaves, select board member, Ashland
Directors: Gina-Louise Sciarra, mayor, Northampton; Lise Olney, Select Board member, Wellesley; Lisa Kouchakdjian, Select Board member, Sudbury; Hannah Belcher, councillor, Winthrop

AG Campbell speaks to Women Elected Municipal Officials spring symposium – April 28, 2023
Women leaders discuss resilient communities during Leadership Conference – Oct. 15, 2021
WEMO, WLG celebrate 19th Amendment, discuss ongoing challenges – June 25, 2021