Hannah Belcher Announces Candidacy for Town Council

Hannah Belcher has officially announced her candidacy for the position of Town Council, representing Precinct 3. The following is her statement:

As a lifelong Winthrop resident, the future of our town is of the utmost importance to me.  From its beaches and parks to its outstanding residents, Winthrop has no shortage of allure. Winthrop holds immense potential, and we must move forward by making progressive and mindful decisions to usher our community into the future. It is paramount that the character and charm of Winthrop is preserved, while continuing to build an inclusive, successful, and thriving community.

Precinct 3, which includes Point Shirley, Cottage Hill, and a small section of Winthrop Beach is such a unique part of town with equally unique needs. With neighbors such as Logan Airport and the MWRA, this precinct deserves a stronger voice than it has been given in the past – something I am promising to provide. I wholeheartedly believe that the role of a Town Councilor is not only to make decisions that benefit the town and their precinct, but also to be readily available to their constituents.

My promise is simple – to tirelessly advocate on behalf of the residents of Precinct 3 and Winthrop as a whole. I promise to make myself available to the residents; to listen to their concerns and ideas, and to put into motion actions that will ensure the highest quality of life both in Precinct 3 and beyond.  

My qualifications for this position come from a wide range of experiences, both professional and personal in nature. A graduate of the Winthrop School system, I have continued on to earn a Master’s in Psychology from Harvard University and a Bachelor’s in Communication from Suffolk University. My educational background shows a proven track record of success in learning, internalizing, and understanding new information which will be incredibly helpful in learning about both current and historical town issues.

Professionally, I am the student coordinator in the Physics Department at Harvard, where I counsel students and work toward building better programs for both the undergraduate and graduate populations in the department. Many of the skills I utilize in my work will help me be a better town councilor – my ability to listen to concerns and implement change in the academic setting translates well into local government.

Regarding my involvement with the town, I am currently the chair of the Winthrop Air Noise, and Airport Hazards committee. After a brief period of low membership, the committee will be reigniting this month to continue to provide residents with important information regarding issues related to our proximity to Logan – most notably, soundproofing. The fight for adequate and much deserved soundproofing has been long fought, and I am committed to continuing that charge. I also serve on the Scholarship Committee, which awards town scholarships to graduating WHS seniors, which I have found to be immensely rewarding and am looking forward to continuing my work with that group. Last year I also worked at early voting, mail in voting processing, and as the Precinct 3 Clerk for the November general election, as well as the Precinct 3 warden for the state representative primaries this past March.

I am sincerely looking forward to connecting with many Winthrop residents in the months leading up to the election this fall and plan on hosting several “meet and greet” events as well as times that Precinct 3 residents can stop by and sign nomination papers in the near future. I encourage people to reach out to me with any questions or concerns, as well as their ideas for how to make Winthrop, and specifically Precinct 3, a better place! I can be reached at hannahbelcherforcouncil@gmail.com.