Letter to the Editor: Supporting Bopha Malone

Rob Dobson and Brian Magee

We may not have managed to elect a woman for President yet, but here in Bedford we have an excellent opportunity locally, to elect a woman for Select Board in the March 14 Town Election.

Not just a woman, but a highly qualified woman. A uniquely qualified woman: Bopha Malone.

he will not be the first woman elected to the Select Board, of course, but Bopha will be a superb choice for one of the two seats currently available.

As 30-year residents of Bedford, we have seen a lot of growth and change over those years. When we met Bopha a couple of months ago, we were immediately impressed with her sincere passion for serving this always-evolving community.

She is quite simply a delight to know and a total breath of fresh air. We have observed her as she listens carefully to voters’ concerns and their individual needs. We have watched her organize her surprisingly diverse supporters as we have worked with her for a win for all of us, a real win for Bedford.

We are quite impressed at Bopha’s record as a member of the Rotary Club of Bedford, and as a board member of the Bedford Chamber of Commerce, Middlesex Community College, and Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ).

Add her honorable career in community banking, and it looks to us like the ideal background for someone seeking to serve Bedford as a member of the Select Board. Bedford is far more diverse than it might appear at first glance—in all kinds of ways—and we see Bopha as the perfect representative of that diversity and that strength. Please join us in voting for “Bopha for Bedford” on March 14.

My husband Caley and I moved to Bedford in 2011 before we started a family, but with plans to start soon! We attended the 10-year planning exercise out of curiosity – and frankly – having some time on our hands living in the suburbs without children! We still talk about it to this day as an eye-opening experience where we came to learn about town government, meet some great people, and also witness the lack of younger adults in these forums. We were very welcome and appreciated, but a minority.

Fast forward almost 10 years and three wild boys later, we haven’t been able to find that time again to get involved in the decisions being made to continue to ensure Bedford is a thriving community for all residents. We both have demanding jobs and children and while I’m sure we’ll look back on these years fondly – they are exhausting!

As we approach the town election, I felt compelled to send in a letter of support for Bopha Malone, candidate for Select Board. I’ve known Bopha for almost 15 years. We’re both part of dual-income families where we manage the demands of our jobs, bosses and team members alongside those of our family. What impresses me most about Bopha is that she has unlimited capacity for volunteering and giving back to the community – whether it’s in Lowell where she works, here in Bedford as a Board Member of Middlesex Community College and the Rotary Club, or beyond on a national scale as a member of Girls, Inc. which she credits with helping her see her potential growing up in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Circling back to how I started this letter – lacking the time for meaningful involvement in town government – I completely trust Bopha to find ways to engage younger families whose sole focus is work and family. I also trust her to represent my voice in important forums where I cannot be present. She understands what young families want & need in our town, and will work hard to make sure we’re represented – ensuring people of all ages have a say in our community today and tomorrow.