Cambridge, Massachusetts -- Boards and Commissions

The City of Cambridge operates under the Plan E Charter which designates its City Manager as the appointee authority for virtually all City boards and commissions. Some of these boards serve essential regulatory functions, and others are purely advisory. With few exceptions, appointments made by the City Manager do not require the approval of the Cambridge City Council. Listed below are all of the City's boards and commissions and their members. It must be emphasized that those who serve on the City's boards and commissions, with the exception of the Election Commission, do so without compensation. Some boards deal with some very controversial matters. It is rarely, if ever, appropriate for members of the public to contact members of these boards outside of the context of public meetings of the respective boards. Members serve out of a sense of civic duty and should be respected for their willingness to give of their time, their energy, and their intellect.

Please send me suggestions on how best to organize this page, provide statements of purpose and other relevant information about each committee, and to give the names and terms of the members of these committees.

Planning Board (as of Jan 9, 2008)
Beth Rubenstein is Deputy City Manager for Community Development
William Tibbs (Chair) Patricia Singer
Pam Winters (Vice-Chair) Steven Winter
Tom Anninger Laurence Pierce (Associate Member, term expires 10/31/2011)
H. Theodore Cohen Charles Studen (Associate Member, term expires 3/31/2012)
Hugh Russell  
Board of Zoning Appeals
License Commission
Recycling Advisory Committee/Advisory Committee on Environmentally Desirable Practices
Randi Mail is Recycling Director
Robert Winters Judy Nathans
Doane Perry Adam Mitchell
Paul Schlaver Rob Gogan (Harvard)
Cathy McCormick Cornelia Herzfeld
Alana Levine (MIT) Deb Sorocco (MIT)
Eric Hudson Justin Adams (MIT)
Community Preservation Act Committee
Richard Rossi, CPA Committee Chair, Deputy City Manager Lenora Jennings, Resident, City of Cambridge
Louis DePasquale, Assistant City Manager, Finance Susan Schlesinger, Member, Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust
Wyllis Bibbins, Member, Historical Commission Albe Simenas, Chair, Conservation Commission
Gerard J. Clark, Cambridge Housing Authority Barbara Shaw, Member, Planning Board
Lee Farris, Resident, City of Cambridge  
Affordable Housing Trust Board 
Authority: Article 11.205 of the Zoning Ordinance; Mass. General Laws, Chapter 482
Purpose: Encourage the expansion and upgrading of the City's housing stock. The Trust is specifically charged with providing loan funds to build new affordable units, as well as with helping nonprofit housing organizations finance substantial rehabilitation of distressed properties.
Membership: 9 members (representatives from different sections of the community with housing policy, representatives from the City, non-profit housing and the community)
Term: 3 years
Cambridge Redevelopment Authority
Cambridge Housing Authority
Cambridge Industrial Development Financing Authority
Commission for Persons with Disabilities
Peace Commission
Human Rights Commission
Police Review and Advisory Board
Cambridge Arts Council
Arts Council/Public Art Committee
Water Board
Public Planting Committee
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered (GLBT) Commission  
The mission of the Cambridge GLBT Commission is to advocate for a culture of respect and to monitor progress toward equality of all persons with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity.
Active members: Priscilla Ho-Hway Lee
Nancy Alach Ian Lemieux
Colby S. Berger (co-chair) Bob Parlin
John Gintell Jeffrey Walker (co-chair)
Pole & Conduit Commission
Traffic Board
Conservation Commission
Historical Commission
Animal Commission
Election Commission
Marsha Weinerman is executive director of the Election Commission. Election commissioners are paid approximately $30,000 per year plus health benefits.
Artis Spears (Rep. 1980-2009 ) Darlene Bonislawsky (Dem. 1988-2008)
Ethridge King (Rep. 2007-2011) Polyxane Cobb (Dem. 2007-2010)
Consumer Advisory Commission
Living Wage Community Advisory Board
 Commission on the Status of Women
Hospital Board / Board of Trustees of the Cambridge Health Alliance
Steven S. Manos (through 7/1/2011) Jon Stearns (through 7/1/2010)
Joshua Posner (through 7/1/2010) Mary Cassesso (through 7/1/2010)
Paula A. Paris (through 7/1/2010)  Ronald Weintraub, MD (through 7/1/2008)
Maxwell Solet (through 7/1/2010)  
Cambridge Redevelopment Authority
Library Board of Trustees
Avon Hill Neighborhood Conservation District Commission
Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Commission
Half Crown Neighborhood Conservation District Commission (as of Jan 9, 2008)
William King (through 12/1/08) Dennis Wolkoff (through 12/1/09) 
Judith Dortz (through 12/1/10) Charles Mann (alternate, through 12/1/10) 
James Van Sickle (through 12/1/10) Grenelle Scott (alternate - through 12/1/08) 
Robert Banker (through 12/1/09)  
Marsh Neighborhood Conservation District Commission
Kid's Council (incomplete list)
Andrea Collymore (Community-at-Large member, 3-year term, 2007-2010) Olubunmi Fatoye-Matory (Community-at-Large member, 3-year term, 2007-2010)
Andrea Kramer (Community-at-Large member, 3-year term, 2007-2010 ) Denise Gharty (Youth member, 2-year term, 2007-2009)
   
Affirmative Action Advisory Committee
Board of Assessors 
Board of Examiners
Retirement Board
Human Services Commission - The Commission for Human Service Programs advises the City Manager on human services policy issues and funding allocations. Through the Department of Human Service Programs, the Commission also promotes activities that enhance the quality of life for Cambridge residents. One important means the Commission uses for gathering information on local human services trends is testimony at periodic needs assessment public hearings. Over the years, the Commission has responded to local needs by recommending Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for a wide range of programs offered by the City and by community agencies.
Ellen Semonoff is Deputy City Manager for Human Services Programs
Marian Darlington-Hope  Dr. Darlington-Hope is an Assistant Professor of Non-Profit Management at Lesley University School of Management
Kati LaBraico A lifelong Cambridge resident, volunteers as a Parent Connector at the Morse School, where her two children are enrolled.
James Maloney James Maloney is the Chief Operating Officer for the Cambridge Public Schools, and was previously the Assistant City Manager for Finance for the City of Cambridge.
Paulina Mauras Paulina Mauras is employed by the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, and is very knowledgeable about programs for youth in Cambridge and the Boston area.
Casey Recupero Casey Recupero is employed by Year Up in Boston, and has worked with African grassroots organizations in several health and human services areas.
Susan S. Strang Ms. Strang was Director of Social Services for the Cambridge Hospital, and continues to work in private practice.
Reverend Lorraine Thornhill Reverend Thornhill is pastor of the First Holiness Church in Cambridge.
Council on Aging
Central Square Advisory Committee
Carl Barron Wendy Landman
Robert Winters Peter Bruckner
Gus Rancatore Noelle Johnson
Harvard Square Advisory Committee
Bicycle Committee
Pedestrian Committee
Biohazards Committee
Public Health Commission