Meet Mattapoisett Select Board candidate Frances-Feliz Kearns

MATTAPOISETT — After finding success on the Old Rochester Regional School Committee, Frances-Feliz Kearns has set her sights on the Mattapoisett Select Board. 

Kearns is among six candidates on the ballot for three open seats on the Select Board, one vacated by former chair Tyler Macalister as he runs for Congress and two newly added this year. She is also running for an uncontested third term on the school committee.

She said her time on the school committee and professional experience as a director of engineering have given her the advocacy, communication and teamwork skills she would bring to the Select Board if elected. 

“I am willing to do things that other folks have not traditionally done, like go to state reps and ask for funds. I will advocate for us,” Kearns said. “I'm looking to the future of our community. I want it to be a great place to work and live.”

As a school committee member, she has gotten increased funding from state officials through the relationships she’s developed with them. 

She said she’s spent time on Capital Hill networking with state representatives and senators to secure earmarks for the district, and would leverage these connections to increase funding for the town. 

If elected, she said she would be focused on affordable housing and environmental protections for the town’s coastline. Kears said she wants to understand why people aren’t building Accessory Dwelling Units despite their recent approval, and study how to encourage people to take advantage of affordable housing opportunities. 

She also wants to be proactive about protecting properties on the water.

“We need to start thinking about what the impact is of rising sea levels and how we're going to be able to manage that in years to come,” Kearns said. “We need to start having those conversations now, instead of waiting until something happens and then taking action.”

As a leader, Kearns said she looks for ways to support the work of others. She said on the school committee that looked like finding funding for the district, and on the Select Board it would mean supporting the town administrator and town departments. 

She said she has learned a lot working with other committee members, and wants to continue learning from others and listening to their ideas as a Select Board member. 

“I'd be ready to listen to folks and leverage their expertise — because the more expertise, the better — and make sure that we're all striving towards the same goal of helping the community,” Kearns said.