Boards & Commissions Committee — 2026-01-20
Attendance
Cal Finocchiaro ; Bradley Freeman ; Elizabeth Kowal ; Christopher Park ; Kimberly Vandiver
Agenda
- CALL TO ORDER
- Attendees
- MINUTES APPROVAL
- PUBLIC COMMENT
- APPOINTMENTS/REAPPOINTMENTS
- Appointment of Diane Casey, 60 Cochrane Street, to the Liquor Licensing Commission to complete the six-year term of Kevin Cronin who has resigned; said term to expire on the first Monday in June 2029.
- Appointment of Rob Kirsh, 12 Garland Street, to the Melrose Parks Commission, to fulfill a five-year term of Brad Freeman who has resigned, set to expire on the First Monday of May 2028.
- Appointment of Michael Tarmey, 5 Trenton Street, to the Melrose Council on Aging to complete the two year term of Margaret Ivins who has resigned; said term to expire on the last day of February 2027.
- ADJOURNMENT
Minutes
Boards & Commissions Committee Tuesday, January 20, 2026, 6:30 PM City Council Chamber, 1st Floor 562 Main Street, Melrose, MA 02176 MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER Kimberly Vandiver Vice Chair Cal Finocchiaro Elizabeth Kowal Christopher Park Brad Freeman President, Ex Officio Member Ryan Williams Chair Meeting was called to order by Chair Williams at 6:30 PM Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Kimberly Vandiver Vice Chair Present Cal Finocchiaro Ward 6 Present Elizabeth Kowal At-Large Present Christopher Park Ward 3 Present William Bradley Freeman President, Ex Present Officio Member Ryan Williams Chair Present II. MINUTES APPROVAL A. Boards & Commissions Meeting November 17, 2025 7:15 PM Motion to Approve the minutes by unanimous consent without reading made by Chair Williams. RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] AYES: Cal Finocchiaro, Elizabeth Kowal, Christopher Park, Kim Vandiver, Ryan Williams, Bradley Freeman III. PUBLIC COMMENT When: Jan 20, 2026 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Topic: Boards & Commissions Meeting Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android: 1 https://cityofmelrose-org.zoom.us/j/95331852026?pwd=v0tkdTjEGOes0s0AF67eHG0agIs8B4.1 Passcode:828534 Webinar ID: 953 3185 2026 Motion to Open public comment made by Chair Williams at 6:31 PM. There were no comments on the floor or via Zoom. Motion to Close public comment made by Chair Williams at 6:31 PM. IV. APPOINTMENTS/REAPPOINTMENTS
A. (ID # 2026-1): Appointment of Diane Casey, 60 Cochrane Street, to the Liquor Licensing Commission to complete the six-year term of Kevin Cronin who has resigned; said term to expire on the first Monday in June 2029. Motion to Recommend to full council made by Councilor Finocchiaro Seconded by Councilor Kowal All were in favor and motion passed. RESULTS: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] TO: City Council AYES: Cal Finocchiaro, Elizabeth Kowal, Christopher Park, Kim Vandiver, Ryan Williams, Bradley Freeman NAYS: None
B. (ID # 2026-8): Appointment of Rob Kirsh, 12 Garland Street, to the Melrose Parks Commission, to fulfill a five-year term of Brad Freeman who has resigned, set to expire on the First Monday of May 2028. Motion to Recommend to full council made by Councilor Finocchiaro Seconded by President Freeman All were in favor and motion passed. RESULTS: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] TO: City Council AYES: Cal Finocchiaro, Elizabeth Kowal, Christopher Park, Kim Vandiver, Ryan Williams, Bradley Freeman NAYS: None
C. (ID # 2026-9): Appointment of Michael Tarmey, 5 Trenton Street, to the Melrose Council on Aging to complete the two year term of Margaret Ivins who has resigned; said term to expire on the last day of February 2027. Motion to Recommend to full council made by Councilor Vandiver Seconded by Councilor Finocchiaro All were in favor and motion passed RESULTS: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] TO: City Council 2 AYES: Cal Finocchiaro, Elizabeth Kowal, Christopher Park, Kim Vandiver, Ryan Williams, Bradley Freeman NAYS: None V. ADJOURNMENT The City of Melrose does not discriminate based on disability and is committed to hosting accessible meetings and events. Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Melrose or to attend meetings, should contactthe City’s ADA Coordinator, Polina Latta platta@cityofmelrose.org. Motion to Adjourn by unanimous consent made by Chair Williams at 6:39 PM. Meeting was adjourned. 3 From: Joe And Diane Casey To: Mayor Grigoraitis Cc: Grymek, Lauren; Bucciero, Patricia Subject: Diane Casey: Statement of Interest Liquor Commission Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026 8:51:52 PM Attachments: Diane Casey Resume.docx I am writing to express my interest in serving as a member of the City of Melrose Liquor Commission. My husband and I have had the pleasure of living in Melrose for the past 23 years, where we have raised our three children. I am eager to give back to a community that has given so much to our family. I am committed to supporting responsible alcohol licensing practices that will help the community of Melrose. I will work hard to support regulations that would promote a balance between economic health, public safety, and community well-being. I believe my integrity and dedication would make me a valuable addition to the Commission. Thank you for your consideration. Diane Casey ****CITY OF MELROSE PUBLIC RECORDS NOTICE: Please be advised that the Massachusetts Attorney General has determined that email is a public record unless the content of the email falls within one of the stated exemptions under the Massachusetts Public Records Laws.**** DIANE CASEY (SENIOR CONSULTANT) Diane Casey is a Senior Consultant at Qualus Corporation with over 30 years of experience in the utility industry. She specializes in Mobile Work Management (MWM) systems for both electric and gas operations, bringing deep expertise in utility transmission and distribution business processes and operational practices. Diane has successfully led multiple large-scale IT system implementations, consistently serving in leadership roles that bridge technical and business teams. Most recently, she served as Technical Lead for an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) installation project for a major northeastern utility, where she coordinated efforts across multiple vendors and stakeholders. Her technical experience includes managing software distribution and patch deployments across complex environments and collaborating closely with cross-functional teams including database administrators, architects, security, and infrastructure specialists. Diane is known for her ability to communicate effectively across all levels of an organization, fostering strong relationships with stakeholders, project managers, and team members. Her combination of industry knowledge, technical acumen, and interpersonal skills makes her a valuable asset in driving successful project outcomes and delivering innovative solutions in the utility sector. Diane is an experienced IT consultant with over 12 years of experience managing both onsite and offshore software development teams, primarily focused on Mobile Work Management (MWM) applications within the utility sector. She has played key roles in several high-profile projects for Eversource, including the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Meter Replacement Project, the Customer System Replacement Project (CIS to OMNI/SAP), and the IFS Mobile-Click Replacement Project. Diane successfully implemented and managed a SaaS mobile solution for a leading New England electric and gas utility, overseeing the full software development lifecycle—from design and deployment to rigorous testing of complex systems. Her responsibilities have included managing teams, projects, and processes to ensure timely and high-quality delivery. She was instrumental in establishing standardized code promotion and release management practices, as well as defect tracking protocols for a major utility client. Diane brings extensive experience in quality assurance across all phases of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), utilizing both Waterfall and Agile methodologies. Her testing expertise includes interface testing with Outage Management Systems (OMS), developing test strategies, reviewing test plans, and leading execution efforts. She consistently adheres to QA best practices and contributes within the organization’s Testing Center of Excellence. Diane is recognized for delivering reliable, high-quality solutions on time and within budget, while maintaining strong communication with stakeholders and cross-functional teams. Page 1 WORK EXPERIENCE: January 2024 – current Senior Consultant, Qualus Corporation Projects • Eversource Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Installation Program Diane is a technical lead on the AMI Program, a multi-year project to replace all existing electric meters with new digital smart meters throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut. Diane worked on the requirements, design, and testing and deployment of AMI changes to the integrated field and back-end systems. She leads and coordinates numerous other vendor teams. • Eversource IFS Mobile Project with New IFS Mobile Adapter Changes (replacing Click) Diane has multiple roles and responsibilities as a key member in this upgrade project of the existing Click Mobile Adapter for the New IFS Mobile Adapter. Diane’s involvement spanned various areas of this project from Business Requirements to Date Mapping to Test Case creation, review, and execution. Diane served as a subject matter expert and led testing in the NMS interface with ClickMobile. Responsibilities included reviewing testing plans and test cases for the NMS adapter changes. She supported Eversource in their business requirement tasks, data message mapping activities and testing activities for Function Unit testing, String Testing, Performance Testing and System Integration Testing. • Customer System Replacement Project (from CIS to OMNI/SAP) The Omni Phase 2 project is a Customer Information System (CIS) replacement project executed to migrate Eversource Massachusetts electric and gas customers onto the SAP platform. Diane is the Product Line Subject Matter Expert for the Service Suite Dispatch and Mobile application changes as part of the SAP replacement of Eversource’s Customer Information System with SAP. Diane is a key project team member in functional design and data mapping design meetings, workshops, and review of resulting project documentation with the Omni Project solution integrator, Ernst and Young (EY) and Eversource. She also has responsibilities for assisting Eversource in the development of and review of applicable SAP test cases as well as a SME in Service Suite and Integration changes. • AMI Meter Replacement Project The Advanced Metering Infrastructure project is enabling Eversource to move towards a generic meter that will satisfy the needs of any rate and the one AMI meter will serve all billing functions. Diane’s responsibilities as Product Line Coordinator covers all the Service Suite Dispatch and Mobile Application changes required to add these new job codes enabling Eversource to successfully status and complete AMI service orders in the Service Suite application. • Consolidated Energy Upgrade to NMS 2.6 Diane’s roles and responsibilities include work on the ConEd training documentation detailing differences between the Oracle NMS 2.3 And NMS 2.6 to for use in the training of the ConEd workforce to prepare for the NMS system upgrade. Page 2 January 2021 – January 2024 Contractor (supporting Eversource), GridBright Projects • Oracle Network Management System (NMS) Upgrade 1.11 to 2.4 Diane had multiple roles and responsibilities as a key member in the multi-year upgrade project of Oracle NMS 1.11 to 2.4. Diane’s involvement spanned various areas of this project from Business Requirements to Postproduction Support. Diane served as a subject matter expert and led testing in the NMS interface with ClickMobile. Responsibilities included reviewing testing plans, test cases and testing scripts in HPALM for the NMS upgrade project and its integrated applications. She supported Eversource in their acceptance testing activities (SIT, UAT) and in the resolution of any in scope High or Medium or Low defects found to be related to the system changes introduced through this body of work. Diane developed a new Test Strategy and Process to track and monitor in HPALM the status of changes during the testing process and through multiple environments. Eversource and HexStream adopted this Testing Strategy. • SCADA Device Integration with Click Mobile Diane has worked with the GridBright team to implement the required NMS and Click Mobile Adapter changes to support NMS sending restoration messages related to SCADA devices to Click upon the closing of the corresponding SCADA device. This project also included required changes in NMS and the Click Mobile Adapter to support sending the appropriate messages to Click for Planned Outage events (P-NEW) and their subsequent statuses. Diane’s responsibilities included updating existing test cases based on newly defined requirements as well as supporting the ClickMobile team to explain functionality and execute test cases. Diane coordinated with the ClickMobile team and WebMethods teams to resolve defects and schedule and promote changes through the nonproduction environments. • Eversource Energy Work Plan and Work Packages Diane was the lead tester on the upgrades to the Work Packages and Work Plan with the upgrade to the .NET framework and integration with NMS 2.4. Diane coordinated with the business, developer, and Eversource IT Support on testing, defect resolution, and migration of changes through non-production environments. • Oracle Utilities NMS v2.4 Oracle Mobile Application Extension Project Diane was the lead tester on the OMA Extension Project. This Project completed in sprints for Eversource to provide evidence that the OMA application would successfully meet all business requirements. • Omni Phase 2, Customer Information System (CIS) Replacement Project Diane will be responsible for supporting Eversource in the functional design and testing, planning and design activities in this project. The CIS replacement is being executed to migrate Eversource Massachusetts electric and gas customers onto the SAP platform. Diane’s responsibilities include participating in functional design and data mapping design initiatives with Eversource and Ernst and Young. Diane assists in the Page 3 development and review of SAP test cases which developed and executed to validate the connection to Service Suite and validity of data. • DMS to OMS Project Diane was part of the GridBright effort to integrate DMS to OMS. She was responsible for running test scripts, documenting test results, creating and updating defects in HPALM and sending the list of active defects out to all project members. 2014 – 2021 Senior Technical Architect (supporting Eversource), Infosys Ltd. Projects • Eversource Field Force Automation Team: Diane has been the Field Force Automation Team’s Senior Technical Architect, responsible for Eversource’s key Mobile Work Management applications, including Click, Service Suite, Advantex, Pragma CAD, Customer Request System, Teleforms and Teldig. She identifies the best-fit architectural solutions for mobile work management applications. She leads the onsite and offshore technical teams responsible for the monitoring and enhancement of the Click applications, ensuring high system availability and quality assurance in all phases of Software Development Life Cycle. • Click Mobile Steady State Team: Diane is the lead of the onsite and offshore technical team responsible for the monitoring and enhancement of the Click applications, ensuring high system availability, quality assurance in all phases of SDLC. She leads the testing of software changes for all mobile application changes. Her responsibilities include building test strategies, managing test plans and test cases to ensure they execute successfully, she plans and prioritizes all testing tasks to ensure QA in all aspects. Software solutions are delivered on time, on budget and adhere to best practices and policies and within the organizations TCoE standards. Her responsibilities also include the management and support of key legacy Eversource Mobile applications including Advantex, Service Suite, CRS, Teleforms and Teldig. She works to maintain these legacy applications while at the same time designing and coding the transition of these applications to work with or be replaced by Click Mobile. • Eversource Click Mobile OMS Project (2016 – 2018): Diane is responsible for managing the technical work on the Click Project for the implementation of Click Mobile for Eversource’s Outage Management (OMS) line of business. The Outage Management line of business was the first of five lines of business to move to the Click Mobile solution. Diane led the IT testing for the OMS to Click Mobile integration in implementation of Mobile Workforce Management. Diane’s testing includes the MWM to Outage Management System (OMS) integration, Timesheet integration to WorkForce, Employee information integration with Workday and Regression Testing of the existing systems. • Software Monthly Releases: Diane is the lead responsible for the reviewing, prioritizing, and scheduling enhancement requests, and incident resolutions for the Click Monthly Releases. She oversees coordinating the development, testing and implementation of the Click Mobile Monthly Releases. She collaborates with IT architects, developers, and IT management to ensure enhancements meet strategic business priorities and objectives. She coordinates with the business Page 4 for review of design documents, user acceptance testing and business communication for each monthly release to ensure acceptance and understanding of software changes. Diane reviews and contributes to the development of training materials for the Click Monthly Releases. She is also involved in working with the training department on iPad Device, EpochField, Colligo, Maximo, ClickSchedule, ClickMobile (including Timesheets). • Business Relationship Maintenance: Diane creates and maintains close business relationships with multiple business areas including Outage Management (OMS), Gas Work and Asset Management (GWAM), Electric Work and Asset Management (EWAM), Gas Meter Services (MGMS) and Electric Meter Services (EMS). Successfully work and coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure maximum efficiency and productivity. • Mobile Strategy: Partner with Eversource Management, IT leaders and business stakeholders on Mobile Work Management (MWM) strategy for Click Mobile as the Mobile Solution is deploys out to new lines of business at Eversource. 2001 – 2014 Technical Specialist (supporting NSTAR), IBM Projects • Diane was the Lead Technical Analyst on key business applications including Service Suite, Advantex, CRS and CWOS. Her responsibilities included oversight of third-party vendors and contractors and management of all open issues with software vendors. Diane is experienced and knowledgeable in developing and supporting middleware interfaces, including WebMethods, MQSeries, and stored procedures used for the Gas Mobile, GATOR, IVR, Liquid Office, Service Suite, and CIS middleware integration. • Eversource Mobile Strategy: Diane partnered with Eversource on future mobile work management (MWM) strategy. She researched and evaluated top MWM applications to determine the best fit for current and future business initiatives. She reviewed MWM vendor roadmaps to stay current on future direction and trends in their software and hardware. • Electric Meter Service Mobile Upgrade Project: Diane was the lead on the MWM portion of the project, which converted the Field Collections and Meter Technical Departments from the legacy RM system to the current Service Suite application. She was responsible for detailing customer requirements and designing IT solutions for business processes spanning multiple business areas including customer care, credit, field collections and meter technical. Diane collaborated during integration testing, led performance test sessions, and monitored user acceptance testing. Diane worked together with both the technical team and business clients to mediate and fix defects found during testing. She advised on solution options when issues arose. • Remote Disconnect Project: Diane designed and implemented the Remote Disconnect Meter Order system which solved a business need to get a new MWM order type and related meter data to the mobile field technician, providing the ability to remotely disconnect a meter. She designed the Page 5 solution after coordinating with IT partners in the CIS, CREDIT and Middleware teams as well as with business clients. The IT solution required changes to the CRS/CREDIT interface, new CRS screens and database updates, middleware mapping changes, new order changes to Service Suite, the electric meter service MWM. • Winter Residential Shutoff: Diane worked with the Field Collections Department and the CREDIT Application Support team to gather customer requirements and design the IT solution for the new process. Changes spanned the CREDIT application, the CREDIT/CRS interface, the CRS application, CRS stored procedures (new and updated) and Service Suite. Diane implemented a solution that satisfies the business needs and regulatory guidelines. The solution reduced field visit redundancy by automating the cancellation of orders after a customer notification until the necessary updates had been complete in the legacy CREDIT application. This IT solution aided the business in accomplishing yearly performance goals. • Gas Service Point Inspection Project: Diane designed, developed, and implemented the Advantex feed for the Gas Service Inspection Project. She coordinated work efforts with the business as well as various IT teams and vendors such as the NSTAR Data Warehouse team, the IBM PCS support team, and the Web Services team. • Production Support: Diane managed and monitored applications to ensure high system availability. Collaborated with IT architects, developers, and IT management to ensure enhancements met strategic objectives. 1999 – 2001 Contractor (supporting NSTAR), Meitasoft, Inc. Projects • Completed the conversion work on the Customer Request System for the legacy Boston Edison Customer Information System to the Commonwealth Customer Information System during the Boston Edison merger with Commonwealth Electric and Gas. • Enhanced the CRS application, including its interfaces to the legacy RM system and new CIS system and CREDIT application. Coordinated work efforts with external contractors as well as business areas from both legacy Boston Edison and legacy Commonwealth Electric and Gas. 1993 – 1999 Senior Systems Analyst, Boston Edison Projects • Lead analyst on the Integrated Work Management System and the Customer Request System. • Performed development and design work, including biweekly business meetings to discuss, recommend and plan IT solutions to support business needs. Page 6 EDUCATION • MBA, Information Systems and Technology Concentration, Bentley College, Waltham, MA • B.S., Finance, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA • B.S., Information Systems, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA Page 7 Rob Kirsh 12 Garland Street M 76 January 5, 2026 Mayor Jennifer Grigoraits 562 Main Street City Hall, 2nd Floor Melrose, MA 02176 RE: Statement of Interest for City of Melrose Board of Park Commissioners I am writing to express my interest in serving on the City of Melrose Board of Park Commissioners. As a 15-year resident of Melrose, an active participant in our youth sports community, and a professional with extensive experience in governance, compliance, and complex resource management, I would welcome the opportunity to contribute to the stewardship of our parks, playgrounds, and the Mount Hood Memorial Park and Golf Course (Mount Hood). My connection to Melrose’s recreational spaces is both personal and long-standing. I have two children involved in various youth sports leagues in town and have served as a coach in Melrose Youth Soccer, Melrose Little League, and Melrose Youth Softball. In addition, I served on the Melrose Little League Board of Directors for three years and recently joined the Melrose Youth Softball Board of Directors. These roles have given me a practical understanding of how park design, field conditions, scheduling, and maintenance directly affect families, youth sports programs, and equitable access to recreational opportunities. I also bring a lifelong appreciation for municipal golf. Growing up in central Massachusetts, I learned the game of golf on a public golf course where, for many summers, I would regularly play 27 to 36 holes per day. That experience instilled in me a deep respect for public courses as community assets that must balance competitive play, casual recreation, financial sustainability, and environmental stewardship. The lessons learned on a golf course extend far beyond the game itself and can enrich people throughout their lives. I would be honored to help ensure that Mount Hood continues to serve the community well, both as a recreational resource and as a responsibly managed municipal asset Professionally, I currently serve as the Senior Director of Pre-Award in the Harvard University Office for Sponsored Programs and have more than two decades of experience administering Federal, state, non- profit, and industry funding in government, healthcare, and academic settings. I have over 15 years of experience in research administration, including interpreting and implementing complex regulations, negotiating terms and conditions, managing risk, and ensuring compliance within legal and policy frameworks. These skills align closely with the Board’s responsibilities for the “care, management and control” of public assets, the setting of conditions and terms for use of City property, and the need to collaborate effectively with legal counsel such as the City Solicitor. My educational background includes a B.A. from Roger Williams University, where I was a member of Phi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society; a graduate certificate in Research Administration from Emmanuel College; and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, where I was a member of the Moot Court Honor Board. I am admitted to the Massachusetts Bar and am a Certified Research Administrator (CRA). This combination of legal training, regulatory experience, and practical governance work across a range of heavily matrixed organizations would allow me to thoughtfully review proposals, understand the implications of policy decisions, and support transparent, well-reasoned recommendations on park and facilities management. I am deeply committed to preserving and enhancing Melrose’s parks, playgrounds, Mount Hood, and its recreation department so that they serve residents of all ages, abilities, and interests. I would appreciate the opportunity to bring my experience and perspective to the Board of Park Commissioners and to work collaboratively with fellow members, City staff, and community stakeholders. Thank you for your consideration of my interest in this role. I would be pleased to discuss my interest and qualifications further at your convenience. Sincerely, Rob Kirsh Rob J. Kirsh E-mail: r Telephone: Professional Experience 2020 – Present Harvard University, Office for Sponsored Programs Cambridge, Massachusetts Senior Director, Pre-Award • Lead the Pre-Award function for a $350M+ sponsored research portfolio, overseeing proposal review and submission, award receipt, negotiation of terms and conditions, account setup, and subaward issuance. Lead and develop a 30+ member team, including direct supervision of an Associate Director, three Senior Managers, a Project Manager, and three functional teams. • Interpret and apply University, regulatory, and sponsor policies and regulations, advising faculty, school leadership, and department administrators on complex Pre-Award and compliance matters. • Drive process improvement, standardization, and system enhancements to streamline Pre-Award operations, increase transparency, and achieve defined metric and workflow goals. • Represent the University in national meetings, monitor regulatory and sponsor changes, and advise leadership on anticipated impacts to Harvard’s research enterprise 2010 – 2020 Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Department of Medicine (DOM) Boston, Massachusetts Senior Director, Academic Affairs (April 2017 – Present) Director, Research Administration and Faculty Affairs (November 2013 – March 2017) Assistant Director, Research Administration (January 2012 – November 2013) • Functioned as the senior administrative leadership resource for all Academic Affairs matters (education administration, faculty affairs, and research administration) within the DOM and provided essential counsel and support to the Chairman of the DOM and to the Executive Administrator of the DOM on highly sensitive and confidential educational, faculty, and research issues. Relied upon across the DOM for problem solving, conflict resolution, mediation, coaching, mentoring, and recruitment. Education Administration • Accountable for the department’s education administration infrastructure by overseeing the Director of Education Administration, who ultimately managed the administration of the DOM’s internal medicine residency program (~205 physicians), 14 ACGME sub-specialty fellowship programs (~160 physicians), HMS education programs (~180 students), and CME programming. Faculty Affairs • Oversaw the DOM Faculty Services Office, which was responsible for processing and maintaining all faculty, fellow, and trainee appointments at Brigham and Women’s Health Care (BWHC) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) (>2,000), as well as the unit’s reporting capabilities. Research Administration • Accountable for the DOM’s research administration by and through managing the Assistant Director of Research Administration. The DOM research portfolio included: o ~2,000 research proposals annually, 3,000 cost centers, ~$450M in total annual research activity. o 21 divisions, ~1,000 faculty members, ~700 trainees, and ~60 grant/finance managers. Senior Research Administrator, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Hypertension (August 2010 – January 2012) • Managed all aspects of the Division’s research program, including all fiscal, regulatory, and space matters. • In concert with the Division Administrator, supported faculty training, recruitment, and promotion activities. • Fostered a diverse set of strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders through an enhanced focus on customer service and diligent adherence to institutional and sponsor regulations 2008 – 2010 Partners HealthCare, Research Management Boston, Massachusetts Research Finance Specialist III • Led Post-Award and research finance functions for McLean Hospital’s research program. • Piloted an on-site, face-to-face, training program for McLean Hospital’s grant managers and principal investigators on cost allocation, electronic research administration systems, and budgeting. • Regularly presented to senior leaders at McLean Hospital’s Research Administration Meetings on topics such as cost transfers, budgeting, cost allocation, and interpreting fund statements. 2005 – 2008 Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance Boston, Massachusetts Assistant SAFEPLAN Program Manager • Oversaw SAFEPLAN’s dual role as a grant recipient (three federal and one state funding source) and awarding agency, managing the application/award process for 11 host sites. • Responsible for all fiscal management, compliance monitoring/training, and SAFEPLAN executive communication. 2003 – 2005 Executive Office of Public Safety, Programs Division Boston, Massachusetts Grant Management Specialist II • Monitored organizational, fiscal, and managerial matters for $21MM Community Policing Grant Program and 17 federally-funded Edward Byrne Memorial Law Enforcement subcontracts. • Educated local communities and regional law enforcement task forces on federal grant policies and initiatives. Education Emmanuel College Boston, Massachusetts Graduate Certificate in Research Administration Suffolk University Law School Boston, Massachusetts Juris Doctorate (JD) Roger Williams University Bristol, Rhode Island Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science Licenses, Certifications, & Memberships • Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Bar Admission (December 2003) • Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Notary Public (November 2003 – November 2024) • Certified Research Administrator (June 2013 – May 2026) • National Council of University Research Administrators (2009 – Present), NCURA Region I Advisory Committee (2013 – 2016), Secretary-elect, NCURA Region I (2015), Secretary, NCURA Region I (2016) MICHAEL F. TARMEY, RN, MS 5 Trenton Street Melrose, MA 02176 December 23, 2025 Ms. Erica Brown Council on Aging Melrose, MA 02176 Dear Ms. Brown, My name is Michael Tarmey, and I am writing to you to express my interest in serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Melrose Council on Aging. I have been a resident of Melrose for more than 30 years. Over my professional career, I have served on several non-for-profit boards. Most recently, a 12-year commitment to the Lynn Shelter Association. Initially as a Board member then as a Board Officer including six years as President. My time at the Lynn Shelter Association influenced my professional practice in may ways. In January, I retired after a 45-year career in nursing and hospital administration. Care of elders was always an integral part of my nursing and administrative practice. The accomplishment I am most proud of is being the founder of the Senior Adult Unit at Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester. This unique service cares for elders who experience behavioral changes later in life and returns them to their community. I am at the point in my life where I have the time, energy and a fund of knowledge that could help the Melrose Council on Aging. I have attached my CV and look forward to discussing further the Melrose Council on Aging. Sincerely, Michael Tarmey Michael F. Tarmey, RN, MS Attachment: CV
Transcript
▶ 0:00 Ryan Williams: Here we go. Good evening everyone. Today is Tuesday, January 20th, 2026, and this is a meeting of the Boards and Commissions Committee of the City, council of Melrose. I'm the chair of the committee, Ryan Williams. Uh, and I'm joined today by voting members, counselors Karo, Elizabeth Cowell, Christopher Park, Kim Vandiver, who's also the Vice Chair and President, Brad Freeman Exofficio. This is a quorum, and so the meeting is, will proceed in accordance with Massachusetts Open Meeting law. Tonight's meeting will be recorded, and it's being broadcast by our partners at MM TV as well as live streamed on their website@mmtvthree.org. Going down the agenda here, the first order of business is I'm gonna motion by unanimous consent
▶ 0:38 Ryan Williams: to approve the minutes without reading from November 17th, 2025. And with no objections, those meeting, meeting minutes are approved. Next thing I'll do is motion to open public comment also by unanimous consent, see no objections. We're now open for public comment. Um, I don't see anybody that is not an appointee or the mayor in the gallery. Do we have anybody online? No One online. Okay, then with no objections, I will motion by unanimous consent to close public comment. Okay. Public comment is closed. We have three appointments before us tonight. We will start with ID number 2026 dash one, the appointment of Diane Casey of 60 Cochrane Street to the Liquor Licensing Commission to complete the six year term
▶ 1:22 Jen Grigoraitis: of Kevin Cronin, who has resigned. This term will expire on the first Monday in June, 2029. And we're joined by Mayor Greg and the appointee as well. Good evening, Mr. Chair and counselors. Thank you for having us tonight. Um, so I'm here with Diane Casey as an appointment to the Liquor Licensing Commission. Just by way of a little bit of background, that commission is heavily regulated by state law, which does require us to have three commissioners, one of whom needs to be a registered Republican, one of whom needs to be a registered Democrat, and one of whom I believe needs to be unenrolled. So, Ms. Casey is going to be filling the role of the registered Republican. Um, so just so that you understand that background, um,
▶ 2:01 Jen Grigoraitis: I've known Diane personally through her involvement in stuff in the city, and I'm thrilled that she's willing to step into this role. She brings a master's, um, in business administration as well as a substantial background in finance and, um, systems technology, which is obviously important since dealing with liquor licensing at the state and local level involves a lot of regulatory, um, and systems management. So she would also be the first female, um, commissioner in quite some time. So we'd be bringing a little bit more gender parity to that commission. And obviously they play a big role in setting local regulations here. So I'm really thrilled that her willingness to serve, and I'm happy to have her here tonight.
▶ 2:37 Cal Finocchiaro: Thank you so much for that introduction. Are there any questions from counselors? Councilor? No. Chiro. Yes. Thank you. And, um, I personally know Diane, but I, um, am excited to see her step up into this role and yay for the first lady in the commission. Um, long overdue. Um, so, but I just wanna say thank you for, you know, giving your time and your volunteer for this position. Thank you so much. And when Mayor Jen mentioned it, you know, I'm excited to get back, do more volunteer work now that my kids are getting older, so I'm thrilled. Excellent. The opportunity. Um, I guess I also just make a motion for to recommend Second motion on the floor from Councilor for Nochi to recommend to the full board seconded
▶ 3:18 by Councillor Kowal, um, on discussion. Sure. Thank you. Uh, I was just wondering if you could say a few words about why this commission, why, why you're interested in, in serving in this way. And, and again, to echo the others, thank you as well for stepping up. Okay. Yeah, absolutely. So, um, my husband and I moved to Melrose 24 years ago, um, well, almost 24 years ago. We've raised three kids here. They've all gone through Melrose schools. So our youngest is a senior, so kind of have a little more time available and wanted to get into volunteer work. And when Mayor Jen mentioned, it just seems like a great fit. Um, you know, I love Melrose and just wanna see it grow and, um, you know, prosper in the future in a safe way.
▶ 3:57 Ryan Williams: Thank you so much for, for helping us make Melrose even better. Thank You. Thank you. Okay, we have a motion, uh, and a second. Um, all in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? No one opposed that motion passes and you don't need to be present for the full council meeting, uh, when this comes up again. Thank you. Thank you very much for coming. Next up we have ID 2026 dash eight oh. We went right from one to eight, huh. 2026 dash eight appointment of Rob Kirsch, 12 Garland Street to the Melrose Parks Commission to fulfill a five year term of Brad Freeman, who has resigned to join the city council. And that term is set to expire on the first Monday of May, 2028. Thank you very much for coming tonight.
▶ 4:41 Jen Grigoraitis: Sure. Thank you for having me. So, Mr. Kirsch is here to fulfill the term of President Freeman since, um, he's taken on a different role here in the city. Um, so I have also known Rob for a very long time. We actually had the opportunity to work together many, many years ago, um, and also have known of his involvement in Melrose. He's the father of two children. He's been very involved in both, um, baseball and softball, our various, um, youth programs. And from a professional standpoint, he brings deep understanding of grants and contracts. And one of the biggest roles of the Park Commission is the oversight of Mount Hood, which we do subcontract out to a vendor. Um, he also brings a personal interest in golf,
▶ 5:22 Bradley Freeman: which is incredibly helpful on that commission, given that part of its role is the financial management and oversight of our municipal golf course. So I'm really grateful for his willingness to serve in this capacity. Alright, thank you so much, counselors. Questions President Freeman. I just wanna first, uh, acknowledge I've, I've gotten to know Mr. Kersh for over the past two years that our kids have been involved in sports, and I've been incredibly impressed with both its dedication to, to use sports, but really to, to all of Melrose and to ensuring that our playing fields are, are, are as well maintained as they can possibly be, and ensuring that all the games can be played. And I just think he'd be a wonderful addition
▶ 5:58 Bradley Freeman: to the Parks Commission, both in that role. And as someone who does to the mayor's point, play golf and understand the intricacies of the golf course. And I would look to him to help develop a junior program up there to really encourage more kids to, to get into the game of golf. I know that's something Mount has looking to explore, and as someone who grew up on a municipal golf course and played as much as he did, I think he'd be a great asset to that. Thank you Councilor for Nochi. Just wanna say thank you for stepping up and just make a motion to recommend. Second. Okay. Motion to recommend by councilor for Nochi seconded by President Freeman on discussion. Seeing none. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay. That passes.
▶ 6:39 Ryan Williams: And like I said before, you don't have to be present at the full council when it comes up again. Thank you. Thanks very much. Final item on our agenda is ID 2026 dash nine appointment of Michael Tarny, Taree, excuse me, five Trenton Street to the Melrose Council on Aging to complete the two year term of Margaret Ivans, who has resigned. His term will expire on the last day of February, 2027. And I know that Mr. Tar couldn't be here tonight, so the mayor is gonna speak for him. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, yes, Mr. Tar is recently retired and I think is enjoying a January in Florida, which sounds a little warmer, um, than here in Melrose. But he is really excited for this opportunity to serve on the Council on Aging.
▶ 7:16 Jen Grigoraitis: I know you have his resume and cover letter. He brings, I think, over 40 years experience as a registered nurse and has, um, worked in both veterans hospitals as well as regional health facilities and has had a lot of, um, work in geriatric psychiatry and also establishing some elder care units. So I think he'll bring a real professional expertise to the Council on Aging. Fantastic. Any questions from counselors? Councilor Vandiver. I wanna thank the mayor for finding us such great candidates time and time again and make a motion to recommend. Second. Okay. Motion to recommend by Councilor Van Devin, seconded by Councilor fro on discussion. Councillor Park? Yes, I Quick question, mayor. Uh, how long is this term going to be
▶ 7:57 Ryan Williams: for this particular? Um, So he would serve until the current, when you take over for someone midterm, you serve until the current term expires. I don't have the numbers. February 27, I believe. Believe it's the order. Yeah. Okay. Feb. I'm sorry, what was that? February, 2027. Okay. Very good. Thank you. You're welcome. Okay. Uh, we have motion on the floor and a second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? None opposed. So that passes unanimously and it will be moved up to the full council. Great. Thank you all so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Any other last thoughts from counselors before we adjourn? Okay. A motion by unanimous consent to adjourn and seeing no objections. We are adjourned.