Barbara Miranda — my friend, confidant, mentor and political partner for 20 years – is retiring as my Chief of Staff on Thursday.
Barbara is a uniquely decent person, always calm, always positive, always easy to talk to, an instant friend to thousands of people who have dealt with my office.
Barbara’s public service career began long before she joined me. Barbara has been the best kind of friend — one who will actually help you in a time of need – to thousands of people.
She doesn’t let up when there is a way to make a difference for a person. Perhaps the greatest lesson among many that Barbara has taught me is that you get the most done if you can be very tough and very nice at the same time. She is an exceedingly effective person.
As much as I truly will miss her, I understand her decision to spend more time with family and I look forward to continuing to work with her in the community.
Please help me give Barbara some more memories to reflect upon. Please take a minute to share a story or make a wish by making a comment on this post. You can be anonymous if you’d like – I’m sure she’ll remember who you are from the story.
Thank you, Barbara for the many times you answered a question, scheduled a meeting and greeted me and my clients with a smile. Best wishes to you.
Barbara,
Thanks so much for for your pushing me to what I wanted to do but wouldn’t do on my own — getting more involved with politics/public service in Belmont. Of course, that pales compared to the stewardship with which you have guided our town and more recently Will’s office. For that, we are all indebted to you.
Barbara,
as a regular visitor to your office from EMIT- End Mass Incarceration Together, I’ve appreciated your friendliness, helpfulness and knowledge.
ENJOY the next phase of your life !
You have given a lot to public service and I have appreciated it.
Susan Tordella
Ayer, MA
Dear Barbara
Thank you for all your service locally and that goes out nationally also.
Enjoy your retirement.
Wishing for you new blessings, new beginnings, new dreams come true, beyond your wildest ones.
Kindest regards,
Sheila Parks xoxoxo
To Barbara-
Thank you to one of the most knowledgeable and laconic state house experts. Your unflappable patience and expertise have steadied your elected sidekicks and made your/their constituents proud.
I am fortunate to live in the same hometown and look forward to seeing you doing, as you joyfully say, ‘whatever you want’!
My very best,
Leslie
Barbara, Congratulations on your retirement! Life is full of transitions…. always something new to do, new to enjoy. For many years now, I have looked up to you and admired your intellect, your genuine caring, and your unique ability to get things done. Thanks for being such a help to our community. With my best wishes…..
Congratulations on your wonderful career. So great that you have made a difference for so many people.
Amy
I was spending time with a very distressed senior citizen and I wanted to empower him to reach out to people at the State House as he comes from a country where this is not done. We made the rounds with 25 cent pocket Constitutions in hand. I feel the warm reception from people like Barbara gave him a glimmer of hope that somehow his voice might matter. We appreciated the Life Savers as well.:)
Dear Barbara
I want to wish you the best of luck and fun I during the phase of your life
Best. Karen
Dear Barbara
I want to wish you the best of luck and fun during the next phase of your life- you made a difference
Best. Karen
Barabara,
Thank you so much for you great response and research into questions we had with changes in the dental benefits which were so Important to Steve’s work . You always communicated Tony’s the information needed and responded so quickly. You made a difference to so many people. Thank you for always being there for Will and for all of us. We wish you a wonderful retirement.
Barbara,
You are one of the most remarkable people I have ever met. Brilliant, kind, helpful, and beaming with the soul of an angel. While Will will miss you dearly, your Belmont friends now get more time with you and this thrills us. Thanks so much for making this world a better place for EVERYONE! You’ve increased property values in Belmont making my work here as a Realtor dreamy! 🙂
Great Big Hug!
Anne Mahon
Barbara,
You are a force of nature. Will has been so lucky to have you as his right-hand person, and we have all benefitted so much from your steady hand and well-informed judgment. Hope that the years to come hold many blessings for you. Helen
Barbara,
Thank you so much for you great response and research into questions we had with changes in the dental benefits which were so Important to Steve’s work . You always communicated the information needed and responded so quickly. You made a difference to so many people. Thank you for always being there for Will and for all of us. We wish you a wonderful retirement.
Barbara,
You are going to love retirement. Thanks for your service.
Lois Jacobs
Barbara,you were a kind neighbor when I lived down the street from you, and more recently you welcomed me and my group of international students to the office for a lesson on American government. Few of them understood until that visit that in the U.S., you can visit the office of your representative and tell them what you are thinking. Many thanks!-Ruth Sacks
Congratulations Barbara. I hope you have a long and wonderful retirement.
Mary Cummings
Ms. Miranda, Representative Brownsberger has been my Representative for many years. I have always appreciated his calm and even demeanor and political style. Politicians have always been the products of their era and communities; but more importantly, of their associates. I would say that all I admire about our Representative is linked to all of your hard work and selfless effort on his behalf. You are the change and hope that he represents. Hats off to you.
Barbara, you are amazing! Best wishes to you on your retirement, and thanks for all you have done to keep the wheels turning for all of us in Belmont! Donna Ruvolo and Lauren Crocker
Barbara, thank for being an integral part of Will’s powerful, constituent-centric public service. We all know he could never have been as effective without you, and I always appreciated your notes and consideration. Have a wonderful and healthy retirement!
Best wishes in your retirement Ms. Miranda. Thank you for your help to us when we lobbied Sen. Brownsberger in town.
Bill and Liz King (No TPP Boston)
I will always be grateful for how you quickly responded to emails when my husband’s unemployment check was delayed by 13 weeks when he got laid off. You made the phone calls to the state so we didn’t have to, and you helped make sure the money was on its way. Thank you so much.
my best to BARBARA may you have a very happy and enjoyable retirement.
Bill Chemelli
To Barbara, It is hard to add Will’s comments. Your voice and presence will be missed. Best wishes for your retirement. Vicki Ford
You will be missed for dealing with me positively with the most cool respected manner and like my auntee you knew how to say call back later without the language. The warmth you bring to the office every time i would come by and the calls you made on my behalf — bottom line you are very warm and welcoming stay blessed and well best of luck with retirement God Bless
Good Luck Barbara! Enjoy your retirement!!
Matt Sullivan
Barbara, Tina and I wanted to take a moment to say before you leave that this farewell message isn’t just about saying goodbye to someone we admire, respect and have learned so much from. Rather, it is about encouraging and giving our best thoughts, prayers and warm wishes to you on your continued life’s journey. Love and Hugs,
Mel & Tina Poindexter – Massachusetts Democratic State Party
MA Democratic Black Caucus
Baystate Stonewall Democrats
Watertown Democratic Town Committee
artisfax@yahoo.com / tel.617-335-4040
Best of luck Miranda. I’m sure Will will miss you. Thanks for your wondeful help over the year, from the time Will was representative to today. He sure could not and we could not have done it without you. You leave big shoes to fill.
Nayla Rathle
you have always been wonderfull every time i had to deal with the senators office all the best in whatever you do going forward, thank you and GOD BLESS. sincerely, kevin schneider
Every time I’ve had a constituent service matter, whether for myself or my friends, that I’ve brought to Will’s Attention… He immediately copied Barbara on his reply email and put her on the case. And sure enough Barbara came through and got the job done. Making Will, look good in the process!
And that’s not an easy thing to do for a Democrat ! LOL
All kidding aside, Will stated that “Barbara is uniquely decent person.” That is very true… but it is equally true of Will Brownsberger, whom I’ve gotten to know quite a bit via email. Often times disagreeing with his politics, but always admiring his openness, his willingness to listen and discuss alternatives he might not agree with, and his genuine caring for people.
So it is no wonder that his chief staff Barbara, would be so wonderful. She helped me access services for my 91 year old mom, after an injury. She patiently helped a dear friend of mine who was in an endless battle DHS.
It’s people like her, that give people like me (who instinctively distrust Government) hope, that there are Government Employees who truly strive to serve the public.
I wish Barbara all the best as she retires. She will not only be missed by the Honorable Senator Brownsberger, but she will be missed by the entire 2nd Suffolk and Middlesex District, whom she served.
God Speed Barbara.
Barbara, it is hard to imagine you as a retiree, but I know that you have many new fields to explore so that no moss will grow under your feet. Looking forward to seeing you at the senior center, as you continue your Friday liaisons. Sallye Bleibeg
Although I have not had the pleasure of meeting Barbara Miranda; seeing these words “She doesn’t let up when there is a way to make a difference for a person” stated by William Brownsberger about her. That is what life is all about; making positive changes and stepping up to the plate when you know something is wrong and you have the ability to do right and good. So many people will look the other way or pass the buck because it is easier for them. These are the ones who have no regard for human life and the importance of reaching out to those who need help. I wish you well in all you do and maybe someday others will follow in your footsteps and do the right thing. God Bless
Oh, no!!! Belmont is doomed! Enjoy some leisure, Barbara, you sure have earned it.
Buzz Hausner
Your excellent work and good cheer will long be remembered by many, but I will also always remember the countless times over the past decade that you did that good work and remained cheerful even when I interrupted your lunch (which was almost every time I came to the office).
Best of luck with a wonderful retirement. Take it from one who took the plunge-it is wonderful! Lots more reading time and time to do things at your own pace and time! Enjoy and thanks for your service! Best, June Roberts
Madam Chief,
You have been an absolute pleasure to work with and a mentor to me in so many ways. Whenever a particularly vexing or complicated problem arose, I knew I could look to you for sound advice and exceedingly level-headed judgment.
I will be guided in many ways going forward by that advice (as well as the advice your grandmother used to dispense)! And when a dilemma arises, I’ll have to ask myself, “What would Barbara do?”– or give you a call! But I will try to keep my calls social in nature so as to let you enjoy your much-deserved retirement!
I have also come to value your unfailing kindness, support, and friendship over these last five years. I will miss seeing you so regularly.
I wish you a retirement filled with the people you love, the books you love, and the vistas and places you love- and those you have yet to meet, read, and explore!
My only connection was via phone a while back. She was warm, attentive and way over the top knowledgeable.
Thank you, Barbara, for the respect, care and attention that marked your time in the State House with Will.
Best wishes for your future joys.
Rozann Kraus,
Cambridge irritant
Congratulations! Retirement can be the best part of life so I hope you take it on with the same dedication and creativity that you took on all those years of working to help make Belmont a better place for all of us. You deserve the gift of every day to shape as you choose. We are sorry to lose you at the State House but delighted to have you back around the neighborhood. Here’s to a long healthy restorative retirement!!
Hi Barbara,
The information you sent me a while back helped me get started on more avenues for elder care for my mother who still lives alone and is nearly 98 now!
Thank you for your thoroughness, your concern, and effective delivery of snail mail to me, who remains partially prehistoric regarding technology. Even though we never met face to face, I know you’d have been a delight.
God bless you in your retirement, you lucky duck!
Best,
Koletta Kaspar
Hi Barbara,
I can’t pull up a specific story, but our history working in the community goes a long way back also. I have to echo Will’s kind words to describe you. It was always such a pleasure to meet you on the street or talk to you on the phone. You are always calm, perceptive, helpful, just willing to give whatever you have to make every moment better. Thank you so much for everything you have done and I wish you a long, healthy, happy retirement! You are most deserving! D. Moultrup
I don’t really have a story but know Barbara, a little. I think she was on town meeting (that might be incorrect), has been an activist for worthy (to me) causes, and is a fine and decent human being.
While no one is irreplaceable, a few are much more difficult to replace. Barbara is definitely one of these individuals and I wish her the very best.
She’ll be missed, by many.
Dear Barbara.
We wish you the best in retirement, and we are so happy for you.
I love what the Senator said about your lesson to him…to be “tough and kind at the same time.” I can see this quality in both of you and can attest that it is true. It is the best way to get the most accomplished. We saw it often in Senator Brownsberger! We are so thankful to both of you and the office staff for all that was accomplished.
This is a lesson that we will certainly pass on to our other children and grandchildren.
Best wishes for a wonderful retirement!
Ivan and Martha Warmuth
Barbara is everything a constituent could want – attentive, responsive, knowledgeable. I worked with her while at MassBike doing bike advocacy work, and as a constituent living in Belmont. She will be sorely missed. Good luck to her in whatever adventure she sets her sights on next!
Barbara, thank you for all of your help over the past many years. You have been nothing but an absolute pleasure and a true facilitator! I wish you all the best! Russell Beck
Barbara, I think I first met you way back in the Bill Monahan days. Remember those??? And then when I was working on Mike Barrett’s first Senate campaign you were a fervent supporter of that. You were always considered the force behind and the organizer of us progressives in Belmont in every election. (Where did you get that never-ending energy?!) We always knew we could win with Barbara running the show! Thank you for all of that. I hope to continue running into you around the Arlington/Belmont community. Enjoy your retirement, Barbara; you’ve earned every minute of it!
Barbara, you are an inspiration and represent the best in public service! I hope you have a happy, healthy retirement!
I clearly remember your broad smile and generosity of spirit as you welcomed me to the State House 22 years ago, almost to the day. Your partnership in my early years made me a better legislator and your friendship has made me a better person. I will miss you and carry you with me. Warmly, Jay Kaufman
Barbara has been a stalwart public servant for so many years. She has been a great leader and always done what was right.
I wish her the best on the next leg of her journey.
Caleb Stewart
Barbara,
I remember admiring your energy and commitment when I first became involved in Belmont politics during the Chenery override.
I hope you have a blast during retirement, but I can’t imagine you being too restful! I’m sure I’ll be seeing you on campaign trails for a very long time!
Happy Retirement Barbara! I’ve always been so impressed with your office and your team. We wish you a lovely, happy and peaceful retirement! Enjoy.
I am so glad for you and so sad for me! Having you across the hall or one floor above provided such solace.
Thanks for all the help at work – You are a great great listener and counselor and a totally trustworthy friend- to say nothing of your unfaltering kindness. I will really really miss you. At least now you will have time to do the crosswords from the Times!
Enjoy your retirement, Barbara! I will miss seeing you when I stop by Will’s office. You know, my favorite Barbara story has nothing to do with politics. When I first met you, you told me you set your sights on a particular house on Goden Street despite the fact that the house wasn’t actually for sale. So you waited (or maybe let the people know when they were ready, to get in touch), and eventually ended up with the house of your dreams in the perfect neighborhood. I always thought it was an example of planning, patient persistence, and just plain knowing what you want. Anyway, may you enjoy your home and neighborhood for many, many years!
Thank you for your dedication to Will, and best wishes for the next phase of your life!
Barbara,
Thanks for your kindness and your tenacity on my behalf. Will miss you but hope you enjoy the well-earned retirement.
Best,
Sam
Barbara,
you’ve been a tireless champion for the community for many years. I recall times when standing at intersections with campaign signs how you set the tone of cordialness for everyone, no matter their political stance. I hazard an opinion that you are merely lowering your landing gear and will see you again sign holding etc. around Belmont!
Barbara –
I met with you on occasion to talk about school-based health care – and I always appreciated your support and the understanding you had for the importance of caring for young people’s physical and mental health needs in an effective and accessible manner. I wish you all the best as you begin your next chapter.
Sincerely, Jordan Hampton
I met Barbara at the Watertown Senior Center when your office sponsored the Charlie Card program. Barbara was a pleasure to work with.Congratulations! Enjoy your retirement!
Barbara, you have been such an asset to many politicians, not to mention your many friends and neighbors in Belmont. Go, and do enjoy this well-earned next stage of life. With all best wishes!
Jackie James
My dear Barbara, I am wishing you a year of peace and new adventures…I remember so well your advising me on our Cherney-new middle school effort in Belmont. You were my Politics 101 in many ways not to mention so understanding of what I didn’t know and how I might be approach this. You understand and value human relationships, most importantly. You know you can always call in me. All the best, Bev Freeman
My husband and self met Barbara for the first time before getting to see the Senator on different issues. Was amazed how well she handled the situation. A friendly, warm-hearted and caring person. We wish her a wonderful retired life and many thanks for the advice you gave us. Congrats!!
Best wishes for your retirement. I’m sure you will find many interesting things to do.
Mary Lou Barbagallo
Congratulations Barbara on a stellar career. Your dedication, hard work, and countless contributions are greatly appreciated. Enjoy your family! Anne
Dear Barbara,
I can’t imagine local and state governing without you! You are leaving a big hole in both. Because I have known you for so many years, there are so many experiences I’ve shared with you. You are the personification of an “Unsung Hero”, delivering critical
behind the scene!
I wish you well in your retirement.
Fondly, Anne Covino Goldenberg
Barbara,
Thank you for all the years you have spent working to make Belmont and surrounding areas better places to work and live. You have worked with selectpeople, State Reps and State Senator, serving them and Belmont well.
You will be missed but enjoy your time ahead.
Best wishes
Libby Atkins
Barbara, Your warmth, experience and effectiveness will be sorely missed by everyone you touched. Best wishes for a long and happy retirement. Pam and Steve Meisyer
Barbara – Though my contact with you has been infrequent, your warmth and always evident competence and concern for improving the political process, enabling its best participants and opportunities, and leading in effective ways while disregarding personal aggrandizement, render you clearly (to me) the manifest archetype of the highest aspirations of our democratic republic. In gratitude for your service – Scott Harper
Barbara,
You do not know me. Nevertheless, I send you very best wishes for a happy retirement. Even though you must enjoy your job and working with the unstoppable Will Brownsberger, having time to reflect and choose exactly how you want to spend your minutes and hours should bring you joy.
Hope you won’t miss Will too much.
Best wishes,
Katthy Martin
Barbara,
Congratulations on your retirement! You’ve certainly earned it. Wishing you all the best.. you’ll be missed
Barbara,
I think I first got to know you in the 1980s on the 74 Bus.We’ve been allies in so many political campaigns, local, state and national and in Town Meeting. I have been impressed over the years with your dedication to the public good, your extraordinary willingness to pitch in and work on whatever needs doing, your ability to laugh at the absurdities of life and your unflappability. Now that you’ll be retired, I look forward to seeing more of you. With warmest best wishes, Carl Brauer
I will always remember you, Barbara, for our crusade to reform the sclerotic Democratic Town Committee, in 1988 I think, with our success and your chairing the committee afterwards. I have admired your work ever since.
Julie
So many good wishes coming your way, Barbara, and so much gratitude for all that you have done for your local community and the world beyond. I have always admired the grace and steadiness with which you approached every possible challenge – and how often you orchestrated a successful outcome to those challenges. Those of us in Belmont and your legislative districts surely benefitted, as did many well beyond that.
On a very personal note, I thank you for the guidance, wisdom, and care you provided to Michael – from his days as an intern in your office and later as a State House colleague.
May your next chapter be filled with all that you want and need it to provide! You deserve every bit of good coming your way!! And may you also find ways to stay in the fight for justice – we need you!
With appreciation, Sara
Grandma, you are a very kind person and an amazing person. Your dedication to me, your work and Will is unbreakable. I hope you can find time to do cool things in retirement! Love, Miranda
Dear Barbara,
I don’t know if you remember but your son, Tim, went to school with my children, Andrea, Alex, and David (twins).
I’d like to wish you a wonderful retirement! I’m enjoying mine immensely. You can do the things you want to do all at a pace that is comfortable. Enjoy this new adventure in good health and happiness with the ones you love!
Cheryl Shushan
I first met Barbara way back when, in the late 1970s, when I entered the MA House as a peer of Barbara’s good friend Mary Jane Gibson, Belmont’s newly-elected State Rep. Mary Jane was kinder and less selfish than the rest of us, and Barbara was smarter and more practical, so they made quite a pair. Barbara was the bedrock for the starry-eyed young reformers of that era. She remained her own unique self after the rest of us departed, and remains her own unique self today. I know for a fact that she is the only ballast that keeps my friend and colleague, the brilliant Sen. Will Brownsberger, from simply floating up up and away. Thank you so much, Barbara. You have been our anchor.
I wish you best in your retirement.watch your finances closely.as in California,New York and Massachusetts,(one party states) fixed incomes are at risk by taxes. ask your former boss.best to you.
Barbara, I have always appreciated your graciousness and calm. You’ve accomplished much and it looks as if you haven’t even broken a sweat doing so! I wish you well in your retirement and hope our paths will cross again.
Aimee Coolidge
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for all your support and guidance last year.
I am still working closely to teaching and tutoring in my field, but,every little bit of career insight helps.
I do hope you remember my name since we are in the same area and I may see you around.
Good Luck in your retirement!!
Kind regards,
Lori Ajamian Pariury, M.Ed
linkedin.com/in/lajamian
Lexington, MA
RE: Barbara Miranda -Best Wishes on Being a Belmontian for us all.
Our Town of Belmont-has always shown its best side- when we are Belmontian’s!
The foundation of this is found best in the spirit of the late Richard “Dick” Betts Town Historian and Past President of the Belmont Historical Society.
Two favorite quotes I think you will appreciate from former town officials on Dick- would “also apply” to your service at the State House For Belmont and neighboring communities:
….was a good person who conducted himself with integrity, with a smile and always as a professional and gentleman
….. was one of a kind and a true Belmont legend. I think everyone who knew him would agree that he was indeed ‘Mr. Belmont.’ He knew everything about everything that is Belmont
In my outreach work to assist those in need and often in emergency situations- you put aside any politics- and became again and again a Belmontian. Not everyone can do this – and for this you should be doubly proud.
My thanks bill dunham jr.
Hi Barbra, I will never forget the time I came to the state house as part of the New Enngland Organ Bank volunteer visit and stopped by yopur office, as usual you were very kind and professional. I wish the best in your retirement you deserve it and will be hard to replace.
Jim Pazzanese
A proudest achievement was the winning vote for the Belmont Senior Center. Well done Barbara. Happy Retirement.
Jim
Best of luck.
Sorry I did not get a chance to get to know you better. But I do remember some good conversations.
Larry
Hi Barbara:
Thank you for you for everything you do! I am grateful to you for your kindness and your service over the years. I wish you more time for yourself and your family.
Best wishes,
Sarah Koolsbergen
Many years back, Barbara got so frustrated with a certain Belmont Selectman who had held office for (too) many years, that she up and ran a campaign to defeat him. I was, at least nominally,her campaign manager. In reality she educated me on what needed to be done. Though we did pretty well, we did not defeat our opponent. However, I learned a lot and enjoyed the experience of working with her greatly. She has a calm temperament and a plethora of skills, is a very capable manager and advisor. Overall, a high quality person!! I wish her the best in her retired life.
When I was a rising senior in high school, I interned for then-Representative Brownsberger and then-legislative aide Barbara Miranda. Barbara was my supervisor. She introduced me to politics, what it means to work in an office, and the meaning of public service. Years later when I myself was a legislative aide, Barbara was a mentor and friend to me. As will said in the post, Barbara is uniquely decent. She paired that decency with unique, deep vision about human lives and they way they interact with government and politics that I consider to be in my personal experience unparalleled. I never left a conversation with Barbara feeling unworthy or without new insight.
Thank you, Barbara, for the many things I know you did and the many, many more I never heard about! I hope you deserve a very well-deserved retirement!
Lots of love,
Michael Allen
Barbara,
The Senator said is exactly: “a uniquely decent person, always calm, always positive, always easy to talk to, an instant friend to thousands of people.” Thank you for attending those late night meetings in he Fenway, for your concern and involvement in the 13 A affordable housing Expiring Use problems, and for all the other things that you have worked on for the district. The folks in the Fenway and at the Fenway CDC We will miss you.
Barbara,
I would never have learned how to run for office without you, and through the years you have been the most excellent adviser, wise and practical, and always a friend. From years ago being the self-described “Phantom of the mailbox”,to many Town Meetings, to sharing rides to state conventions you’ve been the one I looked to for a positive outlook on politics that can sometimes seem hard to rise above.
Love and cheers on your retirement, and I know I’ll be seeing you in Belmont.
You will be missed, by you will also have more time to walk all over town again. I look forward to running into you.
Hi Barbara,
Congratulations on your public service career. Importantly you have been a committed and succsssful public servant for decades here in Easten Middlesex County. Senator Brownbarger has been blessed to have the benefit of your hard work and wisdom. I look forward to congratulating you in person soon.
Best,
Jerry Kelley
Hi Barbara,
Your community celebrates the many contributions you have made over such a long period of time. I wish you every success and every happiness in retirement, and I hope to see you soon, out and about in Belmont.
Regards,
Hardin Matthews
Barbara,
Congratulations on your retirement and best wishes to you, as you move forward in a new phase of your life!
You have been and will continue to be an amazing asset to the Belmont community. I have always had a deep admiration for your tireless commitment to working toward “the greater good”.
Thank you for your willingness to share your experience, wisdom, and insight with so many of us, over so many years! You are truly a gem!
Barbara has been the best kind of public servant. She will be missed. Charles and Ethel Hamann
I just hegan supporting Will so i do not know you. Nut I do know that his responses to all inquiries are so timely that I feel that a superb, efficient person is behind it all. I suspect that is you. He will miss you certainly. Best wishes on your new adventure.
Barbara Fau
Barbara — Your public service career is spectacular! I well remember the work we did together decades ago on the Nuclear Freeze in what was then the “8th District”, and your actions have continued to be guided by your values and your passion to make a difference. I’m so glad you’ve been part of Will’s team. All the best to you going forward — Elizabeth Ainsley Campbell
Barbara helped me navigate the IRS when my taxes were not filed by a third party in a timely fashion. Her care, warmth, expeditious service and kind heart helped me fix the issue quickly and without stress. Thank you, Barbara, I am grateful for your help and hospitality. Best wishes!
As a friend, former comrade in countless political efforts, and town leader, Barbara has always displayed nothing but warm compassion, intelligent purpose, quick humor and tireless diligence, no matter what the task or obstacle. She will be missed greatly by all she helped. We all wish her well in this next phase, which I know will be with new energy and purpose!!
I was new to the district just under 10 years ago. Shortly thereafter, I encountered transportation issues for my adult son with autism (to his day program). A call to your office put me in contact with Barbara. She immediately got involved and, more importantly, got the Department of Developmental Services to take action. Years later, my teenage son developed some mental health issues and, this time, Barbara and your office were instrumental in getting the Department of Mental Health to do the right thing and take action. You wouldn’t believe the details. I can’t thank Barbara and your office enough. I wish you a long and very happy retirement Barbara, you will certainly be missed. Thank you Senator and staff for all you do to help the most vulnerable and defenseless in our society. Your task, unfortunately, is about to become even more challenging. Keep up the fight!
Dear Barbara,
Will’s comments summarize beautifully my memories of you as a political advisor, community activist, and friend.
I can only applaud your decision to “retire”.
I define “re-tire” as putting 4 new tires on your car and moving forward.
Go for it, and don’t look back!
Warmest regards,
Paul
Barbara, it has always been a pleasure to work with you over these past 10 years. I wish you the very best in your next life adventures!! Dottie smith
Barbara, I think I have know you the longest and we had a wonderful time. I remember the pumpkins your husband made. We were very busy but had a great time. wish you all the best on your retirement,
Your old friend
norma
Barbara,
It was a pleasure working with you in the Senate and I wish you the very BEST in your new adventures!
Be Well
Stacey LeMay
Senate Clerk’s Office
Barbara is quite simply the best at what she does. From the moment I was sworn in to office as Senator Brownsberger’s successor, there has been no one whose advice has been more beneficial, including perhaps even the Senator’s (oops, am I allowed to say that? …sorry Will?). Incredibly smart, and also possessed of perfectly sound judgment, Barbara time and again steered me in the right direction. I have encountered few, if any, more thoughtful people in my life. She has done enormous good in her tireless work in public service and we all owe her a big debt of gratitude. In addition to her many talents, Barbara also has a great sense of humor and is just an all around wonderful person. It has been my great good fortune to get to know her. She will be greatly missed, but I know we’ll stay in touch. Congratulations Barbara on a hugely successful career and I hope you enjoy a long and interesting journey from here forward. With my deepest respect and admiration, Dave Rogers, State Representative, 24th Middlesex
Like a number of other comnentors in this thread, I had the pleasure to get to know Barbara as a legislative intern in (then) Representative Brownsberger’s office. I can say for certain that I learned more about the inner workings of state government and how laws are made chatting with Barbara each morning, than I did in 4 years as an undergraduate political science major. Your service has been admirable, and I wish you the best of luck in whatever the future may hold.
CONGRATULATIONS! Barbara on a very successful and long career in public service. Wishing you a very healthy and happy retirement. May everything you wish for yourself and Family come true in this new year of 2017 and beyond. Sincerely; Ed Scheinbart, Watertown.
There’s no one like Barbara. When the new rules on alimony went through and I needed help – which you were happy to give me, Will – it was Barbara who cheered like crazy and kept me up to date. And when we found that because my divorce agreemeent hadn’t permitted any cost of living increase, I couldn’t lose the little bit of money I get, it was Barbara who sent the mail telling me and telling me how glad she was. Thank you, Barbara,
Congratulations to Barbara on her retirement. Well deserved I know. I remember well how incredibly helpful she was to me when I was having bad luck with the Registry office trying to renew a handicapped placard. I told her I was having a “Kafkaesque experience.” She said that she heard about Kafka a lot in her job. As stressed as I was when I called, Barbara made me laugh, then a few days later, there was the new placard in the mail. Thank you for everything, Barbara.
You gave our son Michael an excellent first exposure to the workings of a legislative office. You coached and advised him when he worked as a legislative aid to our state rep. I voted for you. And I have sat next to you in Town Meetings. Despite the facts that you will become a more private person and that we have moved to Somerville, I hope we will have occasion to see you and express to you in person how grateful we are to you and how much we have enjoyed being comrades in arms with you over the years. Best wishes, Barbara.
Barbara assisted me with applying for Citizens Legislative Seminar which was such a valuable learning experience! She will be dearly missed!
Best wishes, Barbara —
Thanks for your help through the years.
George McLean
Belmont
I’ve been dealing with chronic, debilitating illness (E’s) for almost four decades. After a surgery in 2013, I took a walk to Whole Foods. I was very unwell, cold, tired. I just could not get into that store on my own I needed my dog. I’d heard it was easy to do that, especially because a neck to chest plastic back brace and use s Walker. I walked in, the manager came over and I said, she’s assistive. That was it. But I didn’t want to take advantage. So I wrote to Senator Brownsberger to see if I could get clarification of the rules. He turned it over to Barbara. Within hours, Barbara sent an email with the Americans with Disabilites (ADA) rules and a separate copy of the page that contains the specific info about service dogs, which i printed and carry in my wallet. She not only got the information, she put s little note, saying, basically; if she’s a help to you, you can bring her!
So efficient and compassionate.
Here comes a well-earned retirement.
Barbara, I want to add my best wishes for a very happy re-tirement (Paul Solomon’s definition)and my thanks for your years of service to our community, and to me: from educating newcomers to the political process,to providing a sane voice in the midst of chaos – calmly talking us off the edge, to mapping the town for leafleting, to just being there – whenever needed – with generosity,grace and humor. Thank you!
Kathy Miller
Barbara, While it feels like just yesterday, it was over 21 years ago that I first had the pleasure of working with you at the State House. As a 20-something with little life experience in my first real job after law school, I cannot thank you enough for your advice, sense of humor and willingness to share all that you knew. You were always the voice of reason. I have always admired your professionalism and true concern for humanity. You will be missed – Julie del Sobral
Hello dear Barbara,
CONGRATULATIONS on an illustrious career in public service. There is no sweeter person in this business. No doubt about it. You will be missed. The very best of wishes on your retirement. Have lots of fun and enjoy your family and friends.
Parabens (Portuguese “Congrats”).
Al Medeiros
Barbara,
I wish you a healthy and peaceful retirement, full of all the memories you hold of the many years helping Will and others to do the best they could for MA.
Take good care and best of luck,
Lizzie de Rham
Barbara –
Best wishes on your retirement!Your smiling face will surely be missed! Truly you are one of the best public servants I’ve known since our days in the House! Much health and happiness to you- Shelly MacNeill
Dear Barbara,
Thank you for all your help and encouragement, from looking into the speed limit on Concord Ave. (circa 1991 in Anne Paulsen’s office) to the time we went together to speak at Cambridge City Council on behalf of the Silver Maple Forest, to your guidance on all things concerning state government and Town Meeting and so much more. Congratulations, and I hope to see you soon in Belmont!
Warmly,
Caroline
Barbara was a mentor,an effective advocate and an inspiration to me personally.But she is so much more than that. Barbara was instrumental in turning the senior center in Belmont from a dream into a reality. Seven years now in operation I can attest to the fact that because of her efforts so many in the community come here as a second home and depend on it being there for their well-being.
If you ask about stories..What stands out for me over the years is how Barbara would talk to an individual or a group who didn’t necessarily agree with her on most issues. But…Her good humored,compassionate and humble manner would invariably persuade! It was fun and instructive to watch.
Barbara is the anti-whiner. She always finds a way to manage a situation. I remember when she told me years ago that she wasn’t allowed to eat too much sugar anymore. She decided that her big indulgence was to drink fine coffees. I thought “what a great way to deal with that kind of life challenge”.
Barbara is always,and ALWAYS, for the people.
I love that about you, Barbara, and am so pleased that you’ll still be coming round to help people at the center.
I have always enjoyed talking to Barbara. She has an amazing memory – I once told her that my children would like to help with foster kittens. It turned out that she knew of a particular place nearby, and when she heard that several kittens had been born, she contacted me, and I was able to take my children over and visit the kittens. I will certainly miss having her at your office, but will look forward to seeing her around Belmont.
Barbara is a shining example of tireless public service. She brings compassion,creativity, savviness as well as perpetual youthfulness to her work She helped show me as a young activist that politics is supposed to work easily for the benefit of the people, and I am grateful for her support.
Barbara,
You embody the best in public service, approaching you job with competence, compassion, and humility. Thank you for your quick and thorough responses to questions I had over the years.
Best wishes for your retirement!
Kathryn
Barbara, I can’t imagine how Will can replace you. You are one in a million. Thank you for all that you did for him, for the people and the town of Belmont, and all our issues.
Often, it is the people behind the scenes that make the biggest mark but do not get the credit. In your case, anyone who knows you will know your immense contribution.
Thank you from the bottom of all our hearts.
Karen Dorfman
Belmont, AMA
How truly wonderful that you were available at the beginning of the senator’s Judiciary chairmanship. Reading his testimonial about you, understanding the depth of your commitment and effectiveness in his office filled me with gratitude as well. Sincere thanks for all you did for the senator and the Commonwealth. All the best in your future life.