An Introduction to Lance Davis, Candidate for Alderman

[lancedavisward6.livejournal.com]

Hello DSLJ community! My name is Lance Davis and I am running for Alderman here in Ward 6. I'd like to thank Ron Newman for the invitation to introduce myself, formally, in this space, for those of you who don't already know me. Davis Square Live Journal has been such a valuable community resource for many years. I've tried to contribute when I have something to add to a discussion; I've traded veggies with surrealestate; and I even donated some cedar shingles to emcicle one time! It's a great community and I'm thrilled to be here now as a candidate for Alderman.

My wife, Amy, and I have lived in Somerville for the past 14 years, choosing to raise our two children in this unique and diverse city. We both have been active in the community throughout that time, volunteering in the schools and with the PTA, as supporters of the Somerville Homeless Coalition, and, as a founder and leader of Progress Together for Somerville, I worked closely with parents, educators, and members of the community to strengthen our public schools across the city. Ten years ago I worked to help elect Rebekah Gewirtz to this seat and I'm humbled to have earned her support in this race. Through my involvement, I have come to understand the concerns of Somerville residents and recognize the importance of prioritizing community.

My family and I have witnessed tremendous changes in our community since we bought our home on Highland Avenue those 14 years ago and I have seen how these changes affect my neighbors in Ward 6 and throughout the city. I see people struggling to stay and being pushed out of Somerville due to rising housing costs, which negatively affects our city’s rich diversity. I will work with residents and the city to ensure that more seniors and families can afford to stay and newcomers are better able to afford to make Somerville their home.

Below the cut is the full bio from my website (www.lancedavis.org). If there's anything you'd like to discuss, please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly, either by email at Lance@LanceDavis.org or by phone or text at 857-291-1909!

Since 2001, Lance Davis and his wife, Amy, have called Somerville their home, raising their two children on Highland Avenue and dedicating as much time as possible to their community. Both of their children (Ellie, age 9 and Cole, age 8) attend the Brown School, where Lance and Amy have been members of the PTA and volunteer their time. Lance was a founder and leader of Progress Together for Somerville, an independent group of parents, educators, and community members dedicated to strengthening Somerville Public Schools citywide. Lance and Amy also serve on the Honorary Committee for the Somerville Homeless Coalition Gala, helping to provide shelter, support, and hope to families and individuals who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless. A community leader who has been involved in a broad range of civic issues over the years, Lance also enjoys coaching both his son’s and daughter’s youth soccer teams in his spare time.

Lance has been politically involved in the community for years, supporting progressive local candidates who work to protect the character of our diverse neighborhoods and advocate for the most vulnerable members of our community. He was a lead volunteer for Pat Jehlen’s first race for state senate and volunteered for, among others, Carl Sciortino, Denise Provost, and Rebekah Gewirtz.

The son of public school educators and a product of public education himself, Lance holds degrees from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and Boston College Law School. He is currently an attorney who specializes in negotiating complex consulting, software license, and cloud services agreements. Throughout his legal career, Lance has been committed to the public interest, representing pro bono clients in environmental causes early in his career and serving as a voter protection attorney for the presidential campaigns of both John Kerry and Barack Obama.

Lance understands the immeasurable value that outdoor spaces have to the health and character of our community, both within Somerville and beyond, and he has always placed a high priority on spending time outside. When he isn’t playing catch, hiking, or skiing with his family, Lance dedicates his free time to raising money for cancer treatment and research at the Jimmy Fund/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as a long-time Pan-Mass Challenge rider, a cause that is very dear to him.

Comments

[ron_newman]

Glad to see you here! David Lieberman's and Liz Weinbloom's posts both generated quite a bit of discussion about issues important to Ward 6. You may want to look through all of that and respond to some of it here.