Spring 2007 - Milton Academy

“Going to fund-raisers, I used to thinkthat the purpose of the question-andanswersession was that people who camedeserved to have their questions answered.Then I realized that this exchangewas much more about an approach togovernance.”Janet was more than an observer of politicalactivism when she was asked to jointhe Patrick campaign. At Brown shemajored both in history and computerscience, and began her work life first atRaytheon and then on an emerging technologyat a start-up hatched in an MIT lab.The daughter of two immigrants, Janethad always been serious about hergrades—both at Milton and Brown—butshe says “your outside-of-class life isalmost more important; that’s where youfind out who you are, where you defineyourself as distinct from your peers.” Sheknew that her life would always involveactivism, and while working she alwaysvolunteered. She was a community organizerworking on affordable housing, tenants’organizations, and youth activities.Over time she began to feel like that workshould be her full-time work.When Sam Yoon, an affordable housingadvocate and developer in Chinatown,decided to run for the Boston CityCouncil—the first Asian-American to runfor office in Boston—Janet volunteered forhis campaign. After a month, CouncilorYoon asked Janet to be his campaign manager.“Thrilled and honored,” Janet agreedto be his interim until he found an experiencedcampaign manager.She learned the Boston political landscapequickly and realized that the black hole inCouncilor Yoon’s campaign organizationwas fund raising. “There’s a direct correlationbetween dollars and success; you can’tavoid it,” Janet says. “Well, that’s how Ilearned to be a grass-roots fund-raiser. Thedonation cap was $500, so you had to havea broad reach to achieve volume. I realizedthat I had to set up and work with multiple,and often disparate, constituenciesif we were going to raise the funds weneeded.“Sam Yoon had popped up on Deval’sradar scan, apparently, because he contributedto the campaign. Later, when Iwas about to go to the issues convention inJune 2005, as a delegate, Deval made a callto introduce himself to me as a candidate.”Not surprisingly, Janet’s résumé attractedthe attention of Liz Morningstar, the Patrickcampaign’s finance director, who askedJanet to join the staff as deputy financedirector in the fall of 2005. “At the time,I thought I had sacrificed a year of careerbuilding to work for Sam Yoon, and nowI needed to think about sacrificing again.On the other hand, [Deval] is the same guythat had so excited and inspired me atMilton, when I was a freshman and he wasappointed assistant attorney general.“When I began, Steven Clarke and LizMorningstar were my mentors; theytaught me so much. The campaign reallythought, without any polls or research, thatDeval would do well with female voters.We all had portfolios beyond fund raising,and I was asked to build the ‘women forDeval’ constituency. I worked closely withDiane Patrick to do that, and she wasremarkable. I am so taken with Diane.Building this group was new terrain forboth of us, and I really enjoyed that workwith her. She and Deval have a modelpartnership.“During the campaign, the governoralways wanted to know, from people,‘What is on your mind?’ He led us byexample. His staff understood that theywere extensions of him, of his approach.We had to be excellent listeners. The waywe interacted with people had to meet hisown high standards.”CDEMilton election victoriesbeyond MassachusettsHarold Janeway, Milton AcademyClass of 1954, former president of theboard of trustees, and now trusteeemeritus, was elected to the NewHampshire Senate on November 7,beating the three-term incumbent 58percent to 42 percent. Harold joinsMartha Fuller Clark ’60 and PeterBurling ’63 in the 24-person body.“Three Milties” in the Granite StateSenate “may well be something of arecord,” as Harold noted.“I believe that we must bring balanceto the New Hampshire Senate tomake the legislature work for the peopleof the state,” Harold said duringhis campaign. “Governor Lynch’s nonpartisanapproach deserves andrequires a Senate that will work collaborativelyto do what is best for NewHampshire. As your senator, I willmake my top priorities affordable andaccessible health care, a superior educationsystem, fiscal discipline, and asustainable environment.”Dan O’Connell, Massachusetts secretary of housing and economic development, and his chief of staff,Janet Lin ’97, greeting office workers right after the gubernatorial inauguration.Globe Photo/Wiqan Ang15 Milton Magazine