ENDORSED BY THE TAB!

The race between Matt Hills and Sue Flicop to succeed outgoing School Committee Chairman Marc Laredo is perhaps the toughest to call in the city, outside the mayor’s race. We can’t lose with either candidate: As a former PTO-council president, Flicop brings a solid understanding of what takes place in the schools and a strong relationship with PTO leadership and many School Committee incumbents. We’d most likely endorse her if she were running against any other opponent.

But she isn’t. She’s running against Matt Hills, and our School Committee is in dire need of a member of his background, particularly now. A partner with a private equity and venture capital firm, Hills has sat on the boards of several companies — both nonprofit and corporate ventures. He’s hired and fired executives, and sat on audit and compensation committees.

We like that Hills hasn’t come up through the traditional PTO ranks, which means that, unlike Flicop, he wouldn’t bring the same alliances to the School Committee that we typically see. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t worked for the schools. He served on the Newton North High School task force under Dr. Michael Jellinek, he was the vice chair of a Blue Ribbon Commission that studied salaries for elected officials, and he was PTO treasurer at Ward School for eight years.

It’s rare that voters have the opportunity to choose a School Committee member with experience working with unions, sitting on boards of directors and managing CEOs. To have all that experience at a critical time when the School Committee will be negotiating teachers’ contracts and hiring a superintendent makes Hills a crucial member of the next School Committee.

The TAB strongly endorses Matt Hills.

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Dear Neighbor,

I am running for election to our School Committee because I believe I can make a difference in moving Newton’s schools forward.  I am passionate in my long-standing commitment to our community and our public schools, where our four children have received a strong education.  My business and finance career has given me the practical and leadership experience necessary to become an effective School Committee member as we confront our fiscal problems and emerge as the excellent school system that we all demand.

Lisa and I moved to Newton in 1992.  Our four children have gone to Ward School, Bigelow and Newton North– two are currently at North, one is at Bigelow, and one is in college.  I have been active in our schools, PTO, community and non-profits for many years.

My business career has been spent in strategy and finance, and I have helped bring change to firms facing financial limitations.  I have been an active Director on Boards of public and private companies (in the U.S., Canada and Israel) and have hired and managed CEOs and other leaders of corporations and non-profit organizations.  I received my M.B.A from Harvard Business School and my B.A. from Brandeis University.

I look forward to getting to know you and hearing from you, and I hope that you give me the opportunity to bring my experience and perspective to the Newton School Committee.   I ask for your support and ask you to vote for me on November 3.

Matt

Committee to Elect Matt Hills

Brooke K. Lipsitt, Chair                                                Peter McKelvey, Treasurer