As a former Brookline Select Board Member, advisor to Governor Deval Patrick, and senior leader at Planned Parenthood, Jesse Mermell has built a 20+ year career defending our progressive values.
She has successfully advocated on the most pressing issues facing our state and country alongside the state’s progressive business leaders on behalf of policies to protect workers. She has rolled up her sleeves to tackle climate change and made the case for increased and equitable investments in transportation.
Jesse grew up the daughter of a nurse and local hardware store owner. Jesse’s small town community, tight-knit family, and values-driven upbringing shaped who she is – but it was her grandmother who motivated Jesse to dedicate her life to fighting for what’s right.
Rhoda Mermell, a WWII nurse, showed Jesse the importance of giving back and caring about others. Rhoda believed in the power of women’s leadership, and was committed to empowering her granddaughter from an early age. She asked a family friend, who was the Mayor of a small New York community, to arrange for Jesse to spend a day as a shadow to have a chance to see what leadership looks like when there is a woman in charge.
Jesse never forgot that day and the impression made when women lead – and the powerful example of her Grandma’s values.
As a student at Boston College, Jesse put her upbringing into action. She became a regular volunteer around town. She ran for Brookline Town Meeting, later was elected to the Trustees of the Brookline Public Library, and co-chaired Brookline PAX, a local progressive activist organization.
To serve her community, Jesse became the youngest person elected to the Brookline Select Board. As a Select Board Member, Jesse fought to make a difference in people’s everyday lives, from potholes and trash pick-up to leading the charge on climate change by banning plastic bags and styrofoam, updating the Town’s climate action plan, and working with community activists to establish Climate Week, which encourages learning and engagement in Brookline around climate change. Jesse later became Governor Deval Patrick’s Communications Director where she helped the Governor make good on his progressive platform for Massachusetts and, with his support, spearheaded the Governor’s Strong Women Strong Families initiative.
To serve her community, Jesse became the youngest person elected to the Brookline Select Board. As a Select Board Member, Jesse fought to make a difference in people’s everyday lives, from potholes and trash pick-up to leading the charge on climate change by banning plastic bags and styrofoam, updating the Town’s climate action plan, and working with community activists to establish Climate Week, which encourages learning and engagement in Brookline around climate change. Jesse later became Governor Deval Patrick’s Communications Director where she helped the Governor make good on his progressive platform for Massachusetts and, with his support, spearheaded the Governor’s Strong Women Strong Families initiative.
To help those too often pushed aside, Jesse served as Executive Director of FairTest, a non-profit dedicated to ending the flaws and misuses of high-stakes standardized testing in public schools and for college admissions, so we can focus on teaching kids to think critically and solve problems. Jesse also worked as state Director of the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, where she helped ensure that visually impaired seniors could stay safe and independent at home.
To help those too often pushed aside, Jesse served as Executive Director of FairTest, a non-profit dedicated to ending the flaws and misuses of high-stakes standardized testing in public schools and for college admissions, so we can focus on teaching kids to think critically and solve problems. Jesse also worked as state Director of the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, where she helped ensure that visually impaired seniors could stay safe and independent at home.
To fight for women’s rights and our progressive values, Jesse served as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus and the Vice President for External Affairs at Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts where she fought for comprehensive sex education in public schools and for the inclusion of birth control and other reproductive health care services as covered preventative care under the Affordable Care Act.
To fight for women’s rights and our progressive values, Jesse served as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus and the Vice President for External Affairs at Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts where she fought for comprehensive sex education in public schools and for the inclusion of birth control and other reproductive health care services as covered preventative care under the Affordable Care Act.
In the fight for workers’ rights, increasing the minimum wage, equal pay, earned sick time, equitable investments in transportation, and paid family and medical leave, Jesse served as President for the Alliance for Business Leadership. As President, Jesse worked with progressive business leaders across Massachusetts, promoting the belief that social responsibility and the sustainable growth of the Massachusetts economy go hand in hand.
In the fight for workers’ rights, increasing the minimum wage, equal pay, earned sick time, equitable investments in transportation, and paid family and medical leave, Jesse served as President for the Alliance for Business Leadership. As President, Jesse worked with progressive business leaders across Massachusetts, promoting the belief that social responsibility and the sustainable growth of the Massachusetts economy go hand in hand.
Jesse knows firsthand the good that can come when we work together and put our progressive ideas into action. That’s why she joined the Yes on 2 campaign for ranked choice voting in Massachusetts as Honorary Co-Chair and Senior Advisor. Jesse believes that no one should win office with only a quarter of the vote. If we want leaders who represent the core values of a majority of voters, ranked choice voting is the clear path forward.