HUDSON — Hudson held its annual election on May 8, and seats on boards like the Select Board and School Committee were filled by both incumbents and new faces.
Scott Duplisea, who has served on the Select Board for nine years, decided to run for re-election and successfully won his seat on the board.
“It felt great to win re-election to the Select Board,” said Duplisea. “It is a humbling experience, but very gratifying after all the hard work my team put in to help me get re-elected.”
He thanked everyone who helped him and the voters of Hudson. He was inspired to run for re-election by a group of previous and new supporters, as well as his colleagues on the Select Board.
He has enjoyed working with Executive Assistant Thomas Gregory, who he called “the best town manager anywhere.”
Duplisea said, “We are so lucky to have him here in Hudson, and it makes my job more rewarding.”
One of his goals is to continue to make Hudson “a great place to work and visit.”
“Hudson is such a wonderful community full of such amazing and diverse people,” Duplisea said. “I would like to continue to advocate for our schools, continue to keep our water safe and clean [and] keep improving our infrastructure.”
Some of his goals include improving downtown accessibility and parking and helping with the redevelopment of the Intel site in a “more thoughtful and measured approach.”
“We need a successful redevelopment at Intel to help stabilize our taxes,” Duplisea said.
He added, “I would also like to thank all my family and friends for their support and all our hardworking town employees for this opportunity to continue to work together for another three years.”
School Committee
Another incumbent to successfully win re-election was Steven Sharek, who was appointed to the School Committee last July to fill a vacancy and wanted to continue his work. He was the town moderator for eight years in Dartmouth where he grew up and went onto higher education, and on the City Council in New Bedford for six years prior to moving to Hudson 10 years ago.
Of being able to serve all of these communities, he added, “I’ve been blessed.”
In Hudson, Sharek has also been on the Finance Committee and chaired the Recycling and Sustainability Committee.
On being re-elected, he said, “It feels good. When you put your [name] on the ballot, you never really know how it’ll turn out. It’s a risk and a bit scary every time.”
Sharek said it was nice to know the voters have faith in him.
He added, “It’s an honor to serve, and I’ll never forget that it’s a privilege.”
Short term, his goal is to do whatever he can to ensure a smooth transition for new Superintendent Brian Reagan and “support him in any way he can.”
“Dr. Reagan knows Hudson, and he’s worked in our system before,” Sharek said. “But the job of school superintendent is a big one. He’ll need everyone’s help.”
Sharek noted that he wants to help the school district navigate financial challenges with creative thinking. He said the district will need help from the Finance Committee, Select Board and the state legislative delegation of Rep. Kate Hogan and Sen. Jamie Eldridge.
His end goal is for Hudson Schools to “become a magnet for young families looking for a place to live and for businesses looking for a place to invest and thrive.”
“When people think of high-quality education in this region, I’d like them to think first of Hudson,” Sharek said.
Although this goal is “lofty,” he said to get there they need everyone, including teachers, parents, voters and business leaders, to share this aim.
Sharek said, “I really love this town and want to see it continue to be a vibrant place to live and work.”
Erica Ankstitus will be serving her first term on the School Committee. She moved to Hudson 14 years ago, and her children are part of the dual language program. She also is a member of the Farley School Council and was on the Superintendent Screening Committee.
She said, “I was thrilled to win a seat on the School Committee.”
Her goals are to make sure “students are healthy, safe and engaged in their learning,” to support the mental health and social and emotional well-being of students and to support educator development.
Ankstitus is committed to fiscal responsibility and engagement with stakeholders in the schools and overall community. She thanked the voters for going out and supporting her.
“The experience so far has been exciting,” she said.
