Boston City Councilor Matt O’Malley WF’96
The first Ward Fellow to hold public office, Matt O’Malley (BLS class of ‘97) was first elected to the Boston City Council in a special election in 2010. Representing District 6, which includes West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, and sections of Roslindale, Mission Hill, and Roxbury, he has been re-elected every term since. Notably, he beat the record for the most votes ever received by a district city councilor in 2013 with 85% of the vote, a record previously set by Thomas Menino. Councilor O’Malley serves as the chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee, and was instrumental in Boston’s plastic bag ban, as well as placing free sunscreen dispensers in public parks— which were featured in The Simpsons (season 28, episode 3). He is currently running unopposed in the 2019 election.