Representative K ate Lipper-Garabedian (D-Melrose)
Representative Lipper-Garabedian represents the 32nd Middlesex District, which includes all of Melrose and parts of Wakefield and Malden, and she believes passionately in the role government can play in supporting individuals and their families. Growing up, her parents were newspaper reporters, and family dinner conversations often included discussions on events happening at the local, state, and national levels. She learned early on that the policies our elected officials enact have powerful, long-lasting effects on communities and people. Her first job was as a seventh-grade public school teacher in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from law school, and working a year as a judicial clerk in the federal courts, Representative LipperGarabedian spent more than a decade as an education attorney. Her main focus was supporting states, school districts, colleges and universities, and nonprofit organizations in an effort to improve outcomes for students. Later, she served as Chief Legal Counsel at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education for more than five years, and from 2018-2020, she served as a Melrose City Councilor-At-Large. When the State Representative seat became vacant, Representative Lipper-Garabedian decided to take what she loved about both positions, a government attorney and a local elected official, and combine them into one job that would allow her to continue to support the District and the Commonwealth. In her elected roles, she has worked to raise the bar for resident engagement, providing frequent updates on what is happening first at City Hall and now the virtual State House, writing comprehensive newsletters, and responding to all constituent outreach. As her first full session as a State Representative gets underway, she has been appointed Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs and is a member of the Joint Committees on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy; Public Service; and Financial Services. Representative Lipper-Garabedian lives in Melrose with her husband Mark, sons Harrison and Oscar, and their family dog Baryn.
Q:
With citizens being asked to stay at home more during the pandemic, access to clean drinking water and proper management of wastewater is critical. Please give us your thoughts relative to the importance of maintaining our drinking water, wastewater, and utility infrastructure.
A:
Underground infrastructure may not be visible on a daily basis, but there are plenty of reminders about how much we depend on it. The recent events this winter in Texas reinforce the importance of investment in our utility infrastructure. During my tenure as a City Councilor, Melrose made national news when a sewage main blockage and backup forced families out of their homes for months. The City undertook an exercise to inventory and code all water and sewer pipes (something it had done for our roads) to inform, repair, and replacement prioritization. I recently listened to a news story regarding how many people APRIL, 2021
are investing in their homes during COVID-19, undertaking improvement projects or upgrading furniture, appliances, and other home goods. We should be thinking about our water, wastewater, and utility infrastructure in similar terms – critical in our daily lives and for our health and safety.
Q: A:
What do you believe will be the greatest challenges for your district and region with regard to economic recovery?
COVID-19 has created multiple widespread crises. At its core, the disease is an ongoing public health pandemic. It also has led to widespread financial fallout affecting so many households, and has caused or deepened significant mental health challenges. To recover economically, the 32nd Middlesex District will need to see federal, state, and local revenue directed effectively to support continued on page 21
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