Stephanie Martins announces her candidacy for City Council, the following is her statement:
It is with great excitement that I formally announce my run as your next Ward 2 Everett City Councilor – Voted Citywide. I am excited to add a new voice to the Council and I look forward to working for you, with you and to being your voice at City Hall.
I am an active member of our community and I am committed to being a reliable and accessible councilor who is ready to work with our local leadership and contribute with smart solutions to keep moving the city forward. All while prioritizing our residents and keeping Everett an affordable, safe, and vibrant place to live, work and raise a family.
I first ran for City Council in Everett in a close election in 2017 where I won Ward 2 but came up short citywide by a small difference. This is now a vacated seat which is voted citywide on November 5.
I started my professional career at the age of 15 years old in retail customer service and eventually worked my way up to financial services until I was able to pursue a path in legal services and real estate and start my own real estate business while continuing to provide legal services as a paralegal and court interpreter.
Currently, I am a licensed real estate agent and I run a property development business buying, fixing, renting, and selling homes with my husband, Al. I also provide assistance to our secondary construction/maintenance business with accounting and management tasks. Because my passion has always been law and public service, I have also devoted countless hours to community involvement in those areas.
I started supporting myself at the age of 17 while working three minimum wage jobs through which I was able to put myself through college. I am the first in my family to obtain a college degree after graduating cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Government from Harvard University Extension School.
During my time at Harvard, I provided free legal information regarding Small Claims Court procedures as part of the Small Claims Advisory Services initiative and tutored Harvard employees applying for US Citizenship through the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government. I became a leader on campus, heading an entrepreneurship organization, and co-chairing and managing speakers at Harvard-wide leadership conferences through the Harvard Graduate Student Council.
Last May, I graduated from the Gender, Leadership, and Public Policy graduate program at the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at UMass Boston, where my research work was focused on policy solutions for housing affordability . This program also included an internship at the Joint Committee on the Judiciary at the State House where I was able to aid the work being done on Beacon Hill and learn about different resources that can be brought to the city. I plan to continue my education by pursuing a law degree.
Serving the community is one of my biggest passions. I have been blessed with the great opportunity to mentor children and teens as a big sister for several years. I am an active member of the Universal Church in Everett through which I have provided assistance to domestic violence survivors, seniors, at-risk-youth, and survivors of the opioid epidemic.
For more than seven years I took part in different know-your-rights campaigns as well as various political education and civic engagement activities. Additionally, I have been an active member of the Everett Kiwanis Club where I recently initiated my second term serving on the Board of Directors. I also serve on the Advisory Board for the Business Law Academy at Everett High School. Additionally, I am a guaranteed presence in various community events such as the Annual City Clean Up, serving dinner along with MassBadge and more.
This is a turning point for our city, and I look forward to working with our city government to address our many needs including: keeping the city affordable, housing production – especially for seniors, continuing to invest in public safety by providing our Fire and Police departments with the tools necessary to perform their duties, and assisting with solutions for transportation, education funding, and more.
I never stop and that is the energy that I commit to you as your next city councilor. My campaign is about you. This is your seat, and your priorities are my priorities.
I look forward to working for you and I humbly ask you for your support with your citywide vote for Ward 2 on November 5. For more info go to www.stephforeverett.com or www.facebook.com/stephforeverett. For contact please email [email protected] or call 617-394-8029. P.O. Box 490647, Everett, MA 02149.