BOA President Tyisha Walker-Myers with Pro Tem Jeanette Morrison, following Wednesday's elections.
A freshly inaugurated Board of Alders elected Tyisha Walker-Myers to her fifth term as president in their first collective, and unanimous, vote.
While the board welcomed a handful of new members to City Hall this January, the faces of leadership remain familiar.
In two unanimous votes, the board retained Walker-Myers and Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison as president and president pro tempore of the board, respectively. Annex Alder Sal Punzo was also unanimously selected as third officer to the board, replacing Morris Cove Alder Sal DeCola without challenge.
The leadership team meets on a weekly basis with the mayor to catch up on legislative affairs.
“This is a new group,” Walker-Myers told the Independent following the meeting, “but a lot of things stay the same.”
Increasing affordable housing opportunities remains Walker-Myers’ top priority this coming year, she said. “Nobody can afford to live in this city,” she said, pointing to job growth as a secondary issue in need of attention.
On Wednesday, alders complimented Walker-Myers’ dedication to the board, framing her long-term service as a potential advantage towards establishing concrete, positive policy changes this coming term.
“I’ve been standing beside Tyisha for a very long time, almost 20 years now,” Beaver Hills Alder Brian Wingate said. “She has been totally, totally consistent,” he said, in remaining accessible night and day to her colleagues and putting in extra time on the side to mentor leaders new to the board.”
“I’ve been under her leadership for the last eight years,” Fair Haven Alder José Crespo added. “Her passion and commitment is beyond question. She’ll text you or call you right back, and she’s helped and molded every one of us to be the elected officials our community wants and needs.”
Alder East Rock Anna Festa added: “She will defend this board when necessary — she always has your back when we need protection. She’s tough, but she also wears her heart on her sleeve.
“I know the next two years will be better than they have been. Because with time, there’s growth.”
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