Sessions
Session 3
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM Fri
In 2017, Kim Driscoll was elected to her fourth term as Salem’s Mayor and she remains just as optimistic and hopeful about Salem’s future and just as committed to leading this great city forward. From one of the first non-discrimination ordinances in Massachusetts and a 100% score on the Municipal Equality Index, to major investments in veterans’ benefits, to the first age-friendly action plan certified in Massachusetts and the long fought-for new senior center, Salem under Mayor Driscoll has been – first and foremost – about including and welcoming everyone. Kim’s leadership has helped transform Salem into what Boston Magazine called in 2013 one of Massachusetts “Best Places to Live.”
Mayor Driscoll earned her law degree from the Massachusetts School of Law. In 1999, she ran for and won a seat on the Salem City Council representing Ward 5. In 2003, she made the decision to step down from the City Council and run for Mayor. She campaigned in 2005 on a platform of professional, inclusive, and transparent government. Though considered an underdog, Ms. Driscoll topped the ticket in a three-way preliminary election against a sitting City Councillor-at-Large and the incumbent Mayor, and then went on to win the final election by a large margin, becoming Salem’s first woman Mayor.