APPT-2023-10 : Appointment of Lauren Knott, 16 Mount Vernon Street, to the Commission on Women, for a one-year term set to expire on the last day of February 2024.

Transcript (~8 min @ 2:06)

Speakers identified by voice; unnamed voices are numbered within this recording. Auto-caption text — verify against the video.

▶ 2:06 Manjula Karamcheti: I think I forgot to do something. Yes, looking for a motion to suspend the rules so moved. the motion by counselor abramski actually if you would second counselor Williams

▶ 2:27 Manjula Karamcheti: Actually a motioned and Rob's. Okay, so we had a hand raised motion by counselor or by chair Vice chair Obremski. also motion by councilor Williams seconded by counselor Stewart

▶ 2:42 Manjula Karamcheti: given that the all in favor I any opposed

▶ 2:48 Speaker 2: the rules are now suspended.

▶ 2:51 Manjula Karamcheti: So again, my apologies we have appointment 2023-10 the appointment of Laura not 16 Mount Vernon Street to the commission on women for a one-year term set to expire on the last day of February 2024 and miss not is that you in the audience, please feel free to join us at the table.

▶ 3:10 Speaker 3: Oh.

▶ 3:13 Speaker 2: And mayor Broder is here. He's upside down but present.

▶ 3:20 Paul Brodeur: Thank you. Madam. Chair. I Will Not Waste everyone's time trying to fix this and then I've eat couple of seconds. I am on my home computer. For those of you who don't know. I am three years into the pandemic actually Afflicted with covid. So I am locked down in my home more specifically in a single room in my home while I hate remote stuff. It's better than not being around at all. So by way of brief introduction, I am very excited to Nominate for your consideration Lauren not to the commission of women. We have an outstanding candidate before you as you can see from a resume. She has done extensive work throughout her career in what I would call Professional nonprofit Public Service public service focused mainly in the youth sector particularly with with homeless Youth and and the work has been outstanding and she also has a a commitment to inclusiveness that I think is very important for the Commission in terms of broadening its focus on lgbq plus issues and I'm going to close my camera and let Lawrence say a few words.

▶ 4:49 Speaker 2: Welcome Lauren. Thank you. Hi everyone.

▶ 4:51 Speaker 4: And thank you for that introduction mayor brewedore. My name is Lauren Knott. I use she and her pronouns. It's really great to meet all of you and to have this opportunity to be appointed to the commission as the mayor so graciously offered in his introduction. I've been working for about 20 years in the nonprofit sector in Boston in North Carolina primarily on youth homelessness. And for the last eight months. I'm currently the VP of strategic Partnerships at a national nonprofit working to end youth homelessness by putting the power and resources in the hands of young people. So we work we realize that homelessness disproportionately impacts bypass and lgbtq young people. So we operate with the principles of targeted universalism if we build a system that will work for those young people we will You build a system that works for all young people. So those are some of the principles that I would bring to the commission. So I'm really excited for this opportunity to talk with all of you.

▶ 6:00 Manjula Karamcheti: Thank you so much for being here. Are there any questions from counselors?

▶ 6:08 Jen Grigoraitis: Yeah, please go ahead president. Thank you. Lauren for being here as a one of as your representative. I'm thrilled to see you before us. I know what the great work that you do in the larger community and also in Melrose and given your lens as a social worker and the model that you just described which I think is really fantastic. Could you talk a little bit about anything that you would be interested in working on in the women's Commission?

▶ 6:31 Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah, I really appreciate this conversation with the mayor and with Karen. at the commission is really Member driven and so there's a lot of opportunity to kind of shape the work that we do through the membership and I think about myself as a CIS queer woman who is raising two daughters in this current state of our country and what rights my daughters may have different than my own growing up and you can also see from my resume that I work nationally nine to five and so starting to think more purposefully about the work here in Melrose in ways that I can put deeper roots and my own comedian my own backyard to build out that work and so I think about the ways in which women's rights and reproductive health. So frequently follow all those other rights gay rights privacy things like that. And so I think I would want to know more about what other women in Melrose want to work on. So it's not just the commission's voice but it's a community process and talking with Karen thinking about like focus groups or things like that doing a I've been really impressed with the community surveys that have gone out over the course of the last few Community planning processes. So getting a sense of what other other women in Melrose are interested in I'm really into policy and advocacy and it was really impressed with the Melrose High walkout on gun rates last week. So like doing more of that work and getting young people people my age older people connected to their voice and where this state is going this country is going yeah.

▶ 8:31 Jen Grigoraitis: Thank you for such a thoughtful answer. I'll make a motion to recommend for Passage.

▶ 8:35 Manjula Karamcheti: We have a motion made to recommend for passage. So good recommended by President greigis seconded by counselor Stewart on discussion Um, it's not I just want to say that so appreciate you stepping up to volunteer and your comments about the intersections between the commission on women bypass lgtbq+ youth. Advocacy homelessness. I think it'll be such an asset to the role on the women's commission. So excited that you've stepped up to volunteer for Melrose so all in favor, Right any opposed? Okay this motion carries. So thank you so much for being here tonight. This motion will be moved to the full Council. You do not need to appear at that time. But of course you are welcome, but we will be recommending you for for the appointment for the women's Commission. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for joining us today.

▶ 9:44 Manjula Karamcheti: Okay, next we are moving on to appointment 2023-11 the appointment of Margaret Ivins 177 Ashland Street to the Melrose Council on Aging for a two-year term set to expire on the last day of February 2025. We are still under suspension of the rules. So mayor Broder, please go ahead and introduce your next candidate.

▶ 10:10 Paul Brodeur: Thank you madam chair. I've managed to write the ship technologically. I'm very excited about that and quite frankly shocked to it to a certain degree. Similarly. We have another outstanding appointment, you know these folks. stepped up in reacting to a you know, the my office circulating opportunities in soliciting interest folks been tremendous about stepping up Miss Ivan's is one of those people as you can tell probably she is not quite yet in the senior set but that is quite frankly in advantage in the important work of the COA in the continuity that that we need and in the broad-based focus similar to comments about the commission of women to see a way is a place that involves the intersectionality that you mentioned Madam chair in terms of making sure that a growing in diverse population within the city Is responding to and get the services they need and will help our director station and chill continue to do the excellent work. She is doing within the community Summit delighted to offer my highest highest recommendation and commend. Her to you all for your questions and consideration.