Woburn Candidate Profile: Mike Concannon For Mayor

WOBURN, MA — With the Woburn Municipal Election scheduled for Nov. 7, Patch is profiling the candidates.

Here, we learn more about Mike Concannon, who is running for mayor. Concannon has served as a councilor at large on the Woburn City Council for 10 years and City Council president for the last two years.

He will face seven-term incumbent Mayor Scott Galvin.

Concannon earned the most votes (2,535) in the Sept. 5 preliminary election ahead of Galvin ( 1,760 votes) and Omar Mohuddin (993 votes). The top two vote-getters advanced to November's election.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Name

Michael Patrick Concannon

How old will you be as of Election Day?

59

Does your campaign have a website?

https://www.mikeconcannonforwo...

What city or town do you live in?

Woburn

What office are you seeking?

Mayor

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here

City of Woburn

Party affiliation

Unenrolled

Education

BS —Public Service — Administration of Criminal Justice UMass Lowell; JD— Suffolk University Law School

What is your occupation?

Attorney 27 years; Construction Safety and Compliance Professional 11 years; Former Adjunct Professor 10 years; Retired Massachusetts State Police Major 26 years

Family

Married to Annmarie (Foley) Concannon for 35 years; 5 children: PJ age 32; John age 29; Tim age 26; Bob age 22; and Katie age 18.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Yes. My wife Annmarie is a one-on-one nurse with WPS; my son PJ is a firefighter with WFD; my son John is a state trooper with MSP; my son Tim is a patrolman with WPD; and my son Bob is a laborer with WDPW. My daughter Katie is a college student.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

I am currently a councilor at large (for the last 10 years) on the Woburn City Council and I serve as City Council president (for the past 2 years). I was previously appointed by the governor to serve as undersecretary of Public Safety.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am running for mayor of the city of Woburn because I think that I can help to make our city a better place to live, work, and raise a family. I believe that my particular personal and professional experiences have prepared me to lead our city at this critical time.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ______ and this is what I intend to do about it.

The need for leadership in the mayor's office to ensure that our city government is operating in the most professional manner and that the residents and taxpayers are getting what they pay for. I intend to provide that leadership.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Simply put, the major difference between me and my opponent is the difference between a manager and a leader. The effective and efficient delivery of city services is the main job of municipal government. Those services are delivered to our residents through our city's department heads and workforce. It is the mayor's job to lead that workforce and to create an environment where those workers are empowered to excel. In that way, the residents and taxpayers get the best return on their investment of hard-earned tax dollars.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

On numerous occasions over the past several years, most glaringly the recent teachers' strike, we have witnessed the absence of experienced and effective leadership on the part of the incumbent and the resulting negative impact on our community.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I intend to address the need for increased collaboration between and amongst the city's elected officials, department heads, union leadership and workforce to ensure that the end product, the delivery of city services to our constituents, is the best that it can be.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have proven leadership experience from my 26 years as a member and senior commander on the Massachusetts State Police, including my time as undersecretary of Public Safety for the Commonwealth. I have also been an attorney for 27 years. Additionally, I have served for 10 years on the City Council, including my time as chairman of the Finance Committee and the Public Safety and License Committee, my term on the Traffic Commission, and my role as City Council liaison to the School Committee. Lastly, for the past 2 years, I have served as the City Council president.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

In order to lead, you must first develop (and never do anything that would undermine) the trust of your team.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I have always conducted myself in a professional manner. I believe that those entrusted with leadership positions have an obligation to maintain that professionalism, regardless of personal feelings or circumstances. I intend to lead our city with open, honest and transparent communication and to treat my fellow elected and appointed representatives, our residents, our city department heads, and our workforce with respect at all times. I believe that managers manage things, while leaders lead people. The job of mayor of Woburn is to lead people. It is time for leadership. It is time for a change.