2011 Town Election Profile: Board of Selectmen

Editor’s Note: The following article is part of a series profiling several incumbents on various boards running for reelection this year.

Like all boards and committees with open slots in the 2011 Town Election, the race for a seat on the Westwood Board of Selectmen is unopposed this year, with three-year incumbent Phil Shapiro running for reelection.

In addition to his three years serving with the Selectmen, Shapiro has also been the Vice President for Finance/CFO at Babson College for five years. For 12 years, he ran the Boston office of Standard and Poor’s, where he did bond ratings of cities, states, colleges and hospitals. He was also the first employee and CFO of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) working on the Boston Harbor Clean-up for nine years.

“I have a broad and deep understanding of public finance, budgets, public sector management and I enjoy working with people in town on issues than can make Westwood better,” Shapiro said when asked why he is a good fit for the Board of Selectmen.

Shapiro hopes for the Board to be engaged, open minded and anticipatory, so it can serve the town of Westwood moving forward. One area he wouldn’t change is the level of commitment that the current Board shows.

“(Third member) Pat Ahearn and (Chair) Nancy Hyde have been Selectmen longer than I have, and they are great role models for me in staying focused on what we need to do to keep making Westwood a better place to live,” Shapiro said.

Adding to that, Shapiro said he would like to engage more people in the life and work of the town and the government, and hopes to do that through communication tools like Westwood Cable Access Television (WestCAT). Shapiro also wants to find new ways to get new people involved in town government.

At the same time, Shapiro said he feels a bit relieved running unopposed, because he won’t have to raise money or stand on snowy sidewalks holding a sign. But, on another level, he said that it would be nice if there was more engagement by people in town with its government.

“One indicator of that level of engagement is how many people are running for office,” said Shapiro. “I hope that the job I’m doing as a Selectman has at least something to do with the lack of opposition.”

Shapiro lives in Westwood with his wife Jeannie and daughters Aly and Tracy, as well as his dog Daisy. Aly is a senior at Drew University and Tracy is a freshman at Wheaton College.