By Taylor Anderson 

For only the second time in Swampscott’s history, three women are serving simultaneously on the five-member Select Board.

Since the town’s incorporation in 1852, just 11 women have held seats on the board. Today, Chair Katie Phelan and Members Danielle Leonard and Mary Ellen Fletcher form the town’s second female majority.  The first occurred in 2019, when Naomi Dreeben, Laura Spathanas, and Polly Titcomb served together –  the same year the board formally adopted the title of “Select Board,” to replace “Board of Selectmen.”

Phelan, Leonard and Fletcher arrive by different professional paths, but together, they are shaping policy, navigating conflict and defining what leadership looks like in town government. 

Katie Phelan

Phelan moved to Swampscott in 2015 with her husband, who grew up in town and has since become highly involved in her new hometown.  

Raised in Connecticut, she attended Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire and later graduated from New England Law Boston. 

Although not a Swampscott native, she said she has worked intentionally to understand the town’s culture and history. 

“My husband grew up here, his family is from here and I’m not,” Phelan said. “I always feel like this is how I have to earn my stripes. But that’s one of the reasons that drew me in, to understand the town and the history, the intricacies and the philosophy of what it means to be from Swampscott.” 

Phelan’s legal background and experience in politics shape her approach to chair. She also sees herself as a mediator – a skill she says is sharpened daily as a mom to two young children. 

“I try to figure out where the trouble spots are going to be,” she said. “I try to make sure that all the facts are on the table so people understand them. I try to get to know the opponent’s decision, and then I really try to understand, ‘What’s the middle ground? Is there a middle ground?’ And if not, ‘How do we get to a point where we have a safety net below us so that everybody feels comfortable where we ended up?’” 

Phelan said she is also proud to serve in her position alongside Fletcher and Leonard but rejects framing their presence as a “boys vs. girls” narrative 

“Maybe there are some things that genders see differently or that unifies certain genders, and that’s okay,” said Phelan. “I just think it’s part of our story, but not our whole story.” 

For Phelan, leadership is about inspiring residents to understand how local government works and how they can participate. 

Danielle Leonard

Leonard brings an education-centered perspective to the board.

She previously worked in the Swampscott Public Schools, first as the head of payroll and later as a secretary to then Swampscott Middle School Principal Jason Calichman, who now serves as superintendent. These roles gave her firsthand insight into how decisions made by town leaders impact schools, staff, and students. 

In 2022, Leonard became the human resources administrator for the Lynnfield Public Schools. She now works as a health and welfare consultant at Harvard University. 

As a mother of young children, Leonard said she weighs each vote with families in mind. 

“I want to feel good about every decision for everybody’s kids,” Leonard said. “It’s about every child that lives in this town.” 

Her years in the school system also helped her build relationships across the community. 

“When I’m at Whole Foods or at Town Hall, someone is always coming in and saying, ‘Hey Mrs. Leonard. How are you?’” Leonard said. “I remember kids, and I remember families. It really enabled me to make a connection.” 

That connection, she said, informs how she listens and responds to residents’ concerns.  

Mary Ellen Fletcher

Fletcher brings decades of institutional knowledge to the board. 

A Swampscott resident for over 40 years, Fletcher has served in numerous town roles, including vice chair of the Finance Committee and board member of the Association of Town Finance Committees. 

She’s also been a Town Meeting member, liaison to the Capital Improvements Committee, chair of the Recreation Department and member of the Harbor and Waterfront Committee.

Her long tenure in local government has allowed her to witness the evolution of women in leadership close up. 

“It’s getting better, but it’s not part of the American fabric,” Fletcher said. “When you do see women in leadership roles, some people consciously or subconsciously may have a problem with it. I do think we’re held to a higher standard.”

Still, she said, the work itself and the impact that it can have keeps her motivated. 

“Getting things done, listening to people and helping citizens,” she said, makes her service meaningful. 

Looking Ahead and Back

While board membership changes over time, the women say they remain connected to those who served before them. 

Leonard said she often reaches out to former Select Board Members Carol Schutzer and Naomi Dreeben for advice.

“I’ll call Carol Schutzer, and she always has valuable advice, or Naomi Dreeben,” Leonard said.  “We have some people in town that came before us, and they’ve been incredibly helpful. We’re lucky that a lot of them are still in town.” 

Phelan keeps a reminder of the legacy close at hand. She has an article titled ‘Honoring Swampscott’s Elected Women Leaders’ written by local scholar Nancy Schultz, posted on her refrigerator. 

Together, past and present female leaders form a continuum shaped by service, strengthened by experience and sustained by a shared commitment to the town they serve, she said.

“I just think, how amazing these women before us were,” Phelan said, admiring their perseverance through hardship and criticism.

Taylor Anderson is a student at Endicott College studying journalism. This story was published in partnership with the Massachusetts News Service.