Mayor-elect Jake Wilson today announced the formation of a Transition Steering Committee that will guide Somerville through the handoff to his administration and develop a clear action plan for delivering more responsive, efficient, and equitable city services.
“As Somerville’s next mayor, my job is to set a clear tone and direction and then unite the organization around priorities that actually make people’s lives better,” said Mayor-elect Jake Wilson. “This transition is about planning for success. We’re going to treat city government like an urban mechanic shop, fixing what’s broken, refining how we work, and measuring progress, while communicating honestly, being available and accountable, and putting equity at the center of every decision.”
“I’ve spent my time on the Council pushing for more transparent budgets, better coordination, and real public input,” Wilson added. “Now I want to bring that same obsession with transparency, efficiency, and collaboration into the mayor’s office. This team brings the experience and candor we need to get that right from day one.”
The committee will be chaired by former Mayor Joe Curtatone and co-chaired by Ward 1 Councilor Matt McLaughlin. It brings together regional leaders in municipal innovation, economic development, infrastructure, equity, planning, design, and community organizing, all tasked with helping Wilson “hit the ground running” on day one.
“Somerville has a history as one of the most innovative city governments in the country, and this is a chance to build on that legacy in a new era,” said Joe Curtatone, Transition Chair and former Somerville mayor. “Jake is starting the right way, being honest about where we’re strong and where we’re falling short, putting basic services first, and organizing city hall around service, equity, and problem-solving. I’m excited to help him assemble a world-class team and support a smooth, values-driven transition.”
Transition Steering Committee: Focus Areas
Guided by Wilson’s values of Leadership, Communication, Availability & Accountability, Transparency & Efficiency, and Collaboration & Coordination, the committee will:
Improve Core City Services – Assess how Somerville currently delivers “urban mechanic” basics like 311 response, streets and sidewalks, parks, inspections, and permitting; identify bottlenecks; and recommend early wins and longer-term process improvements.
Modernize Communication – Move city outreach from PR-style messaging to true public information by designing a multi-channel strategy (email, text, phone, mail, and a modern city app) that lets residents choose how and about what they hear from their government.
Strengthen Availability & Accountability – Recommend structures to sustain an “open door” mayoralty, including regular and on-demand office hours, Thursday evening availability aligned with staff schedules, and more governing from neighborhoods rather than conference rooms.
Advance Transparency, Efficiency & Equity – Map where budgeting, planning, and decision-making can be more transparent, and establish a culture of continuous process improvement that embeds an equity lens into everyday operations.
Build Regional Partnerships – Identify opportunities for Somerville to coordinate with neighboring municipalities and state partners on shared challenges such as housing affordability, transportation, public health, infrastructure, and quality-of-life issues.
A High-Caliber Team
Members of the Transition Steering Committee include:
Joe Curtatone (Chair) – Vice President, Government Affairs & Strategy, indiGo Technologies; Professor in the Practice, Tufts University; Former President, The Alliance for Climate Transition; Former Mayor, City of Somerville.
Matt McLaughlin (Vice-Chair) – Ward 1 City Councillor, City of Somerville.
Jay Ash – President & CEO, Massachusetts Competitive Partnership; Former Secretary, Office of Economic Development, Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Former City Manager, City of Chelsea.
Tom Bent – Founder, Bent Electrical Contractors, Past Chair, Somerville Chamber of Commerce.
Kerry Bowie – Co-Founder & General Partner, Malaika Ventures; Founder, President & Executive Director, Browning the Green Space; Co-Founder, President & Executive Director, The Majira Project.
Janice Delory – Former Chief of Staff, Mayor Joe Curtatone, City of Somerville; Former Vice President of Marketing, Fidelity Investments.
Douglas Foy – President, Serafix Corporation; Former Secretary, Commonwealth Development, Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Former President, Conservation Law Foundation.
Jillian Harvey – Chief Equity Officer, Massachusetts Municipal Association; Former Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Town of Arlington, MA.
Stacy Richardson – Senior Director of Collaboration, Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University; Former Chief of Staff, National League of Cities; Former Chief of Staff, City of Chattanooga, TN.
Samantha Silverberg – Visiting Fellow, Taubman Center for State and Local Government, Harvard Kennedy School; Non-Resident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution; Former Deputy Assistant for Infrastructure Implementation, The Biden-Harris White House.
Anne Tate – Professor, Rhode Island School of Design.
Denise Lauers – President, Mystic Tenants Association
Rand Wilson – Organizer and Advisor, CHIPS Communities United.
Additional members may be announced as the transition progresses.
Next Steps
The Transition Steering Committee will convene immediately and deliver initial recommendations to Mayor-elect Wilson prior to his inauguration. The process will include interviews with department heads and front-line staff, listening sessions with community organizations and residents, and engagement with neighboring municipalities and state leaders. Community members can share priorities and ideas anytime at wilsontransition.org, where we’ll post a short input form, updates, and materials from the transition. You can also sign up there to receive notices about upcoming listening sessions and opportunities to participate.