I am writing to urge your support for Mark Howell for Concord Select Board at the March 28 Town Election. I have known Mark for 20+ years and have come to admire his dedication to the town, his strong work ethic and his level-headedness. Mark brings to the table a fountain of knowledge and experience that matters. He was an IBM executive for over 30 years, and served as the town’s first Chief Information Officer for 8+ years. His volunteer efforts include six years on the Town’s Finance Committee (including one term as Chair), service on the Build Thoreau Committee, and the Fiber Broadband Completion Task Force. He is bright, energetic, articulate, knowledgeable, a good listener and he knows how to work within the minefield of municipal government and its bureaucracy. If he wins, he is capable of hitting the ground running.
I served as Town Clerk during Mark’s tenure as the CIO, so I had first-hand experience with Mark’s no-nonsense problem-solving skills when my office moved to the second floor of the Town House during building renovations. Mark planned and coordinated the move of our telephones, computers and network so that we didn’t miss an operational beat. During this move, my computer was hit with a ransom virus, a problem which he solved quickly and capably (with no ransom paid). Mark was always innovative, creative, and willing to look “outside the box” to solve a problem—a skillset not common in municipal government.
Mark knows how to work collaboratively to attain positive results. I believe that he is a good match for what Concord needs now as a leader on the Select Board. Please join me in voting for Mark.
Anita Tekle
Virginia Road
