Welcome to the MacDonald-Brown Meeting Room!
Selectmen honor former public servants with dedication.
WEST BRIDGEWATER - Nancy Maloney presided over her final Board of Selectmen's meeting on Wednesday, April 6. Maloney decided not to seek a third term for the elected position. The election, to be held Saturday, April 9, will determine her successor as three candidates vie for the vacant seat.
The meeting was held in the newly dedicated MacDonald-Brown Meeting Room on the first floor of Town Hall. The first order of business for Maloney's last meeting was to officially dedicate this room to Marjorie MacDonald and Anna Brown and unveil a plaque with photographs of each woman with their years of service. "This is very exciting," Maloney said.
MacDonald was the town's first female Selectman, serving for 18 years. Brown was the town's first female Town Clerk, serving for 39 years. Both women were touted as pioneers and were given credit for breaking the glass ceiling for future female politicians in Town.
"Marjorie MacDonald and Anna Brown were the two that really started women in politics in this town," former Selectman Judy Kinney said. "We've had some wonderful ones and wonderful experiences."
Selectman Jerry Lawrence, who originally proposed the dedication, said MacDonald served as both an inspiration and a mentor for him as he decided to enter into public service. "I used to visit her almost daily," Lawrence said. "She taught me a lot about the town."
Lawrence said he developed the idea in the wake of Maloney's tradition of recognizing town employees and volunteers for great work and leadership. "We recognize as Selectmen how much time it takes away from families. We know that these two ladies took a lot of time away from their personal lives and dedicated it to the town."
Selectman Moreira shared personal experiences with both figures. "Margie was a wealth of information," he said. "I can remember when [Anna] used to give licenses out at the house. It was more than just working in Town Hall. She was always available no matter what time of day it was."
Maloney and Lawrence unveiled the plaque during a recess in the meeting for the friends and families of Brown and MacDonald. It is the first meeting room in Town Hall to be assigned a name.
