Statement of Interest- Katelin Firth — File 24-1701

Statement of Interest: Somerville Commission for Women Dear Latoya Saulters and Somerville Commission for Women members, I am thrilled to submit my application to join the Somerville Commission for Women. I had the opportunity to sit on the inaugural Participatory Budgeting committee that created the guidebook and presented our work to the city council last year. It was my first experience working within the local government and I loved collaborating with city staff and other passionate residents to create a new avenue for broad community engagement. Now, I would like to support and uplift a specific demographic in our city: women. People who identify as women are savvy and capable, but historically marginalized and deprived of equitable resources. I believe strongly in the Commission’s mandate to eliminate prejudice and discrimination and believe we can take it a step further to empower women with information and resources they need to thrive. One key skill that I have leveraged in all of my professional experience is helping stakeholders identify knowledge or resource gaps and close them. As a financial analyst, I became a subject matter expert in a process that my business partners identified as a pain point and held a training session with printable resources; the result was alleviated stress and improved accuracy. As a registrar, I was the first point of contact for new parents enrolling their children in dance classes; the questions they asked informed the way I gave studio tours, described programming, and recommended classes. As an administrative manager, I observed frustration and conflict between working styles among colleagues and recommended that our leadership team hire a facilitator with expertise in giving and receiving feedback; we have had two sessions and have already noticed tensions dissipating. All of these examples have required me to listen actively, think critically, and try something new. I believe that I can bring value to this Commission and the women of Somerville with these skills. If you have any questions about my interest or experience, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I would welcome the opportunity to have a conversation and learn more about the Commission. Thank you in advance for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you. All the best, Katelin Firth