Meet Susan Wetmore, Wakefield Patch's 'Person of the Year'

Susan Wetmore has a vision for Wakefield.

Wetmore, named Person of the Year by the Wakefield community, has lived and volunteered in town for than two decades, running project after project and spearheading organizations since the mid 80s. 

What's kept her going recently is her desire to see a future Wakefield where all the different components and sections of the community, whether it's the town government, various town departments, the schools, the business community or the town's residents, work in unison to tackle problems and make the town a better place. Together.

"Schools are important to the town whether you have a child in the schools or not, and business is important to the town whether you have a business or not," she said. "I think everyone has a time in their life when they're just looking after their own self, but there comes a point where you have to appreciate all the pieces that make the town wonderful."

Wetmore said this vision is what helped her to decide to start Wakefield's now annual Holiday Stroll back in December of 2009.

"I love living in Wakefield, but there's always room for improvement," she said, "and you shouldn't be complaining unless you're trying to make a difference."

The Holiday Stroll
Wetmore was one of the key players in starting the annual holiday celebration in Wakefield.

She said the idea to bring the town together for a holiday event stemmed from this vision of viewing the town as a delicate integration of many interconnected pieces.

"Coming from someone who doesn't have kids in the schools, isn't a new parent or homeowner or ready for retirement, I thought I was in a good position to see the big picture," she said.

So as Wetmore began to work on the town's five-year strategic plan, she found herself looking for an idea to tie together the residents and business communities of the town. Wetmore said although she and fellow volunteer Sue Majeski knew they wanted to plan a holiday event to bring the community together, it was Town Administrator Steve Maio who suggested hosting a holiday stroll. 

Wetmore and fellow volunteer Susan Majeski spent the next five weeks literally walking door-to-door soliciting businesses to join in on their vision. With help from Maio and Larry Andrews of the Chamber of Commerce, that first event brought together almost 1000 Wakefield residents. Three years later, it's brought together an estimated 2,400 residents to celebrate the Wakefield community.

Wetmore said she's proud of the way the event has taken off in town, and how individuals, the business community, and town departments have all gotten involved and have stood behind the event year after year.

A Legacy of Volunteerism
The Holiday Stroll is only Wetmore's latest project. Wetmore has volunteered for numerous organizations since she first moved to town back in the 1986. She first became involved with the Montrose School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), of which she served as president for three years. She then followed her son through the Wakefield school system, serving on the Galvin Middle School PTO as well. When her son went to college, Wetmore said she took some time to sit back and think about which organizations she really wanted to help.

One of those organizations is the Saugus Rivershed Water Council, an environmental association that seeks to address water issues related to the Saugus River, which begins in Lake Quannapowitt. Wetmore still serves as the vice president of the watchdog organization, which often gets her involved at planning board and consesrvation committee meetings.

Another volunteer project Wetmore has become involved in is the Beebe Library's "Blossoms for the Beebe" event held each spring.

"It's a lot of work, but looking at the community at large, the library is one of the biggest resources," she said. "It's been beautifully redone, and every age group uses the library."

For Wetmore, who stopped working as a special needs teacher in Everett to raise her son, volunteering has become a way of life.

"It's about giving back, but it's also how about it makes you feel," she said, while encouraging others to get involved. "It's not even a selfless thing, because it makes you feel so good to know that you are making a difference."