Hume 'Honored' to be First Female Braintree Town Councilor

Shannon Hume, who has served for the last six years on the School Committee, will be the first woman to represent Braintree residents on the Town Council when she is sworn-in this January.

Hume, Sean Powers and Charles Ryan captured the three available Councilor-at-Large seats in Tuesday's local election. She is the current chair of the School Committee and previously worked in accounting.

"I am very honored to be the first woman," Hume said in an interview Wednesday morning. "I’m proud of that. I’m glad my daughter has that to look up to.”

She and her husband John were both raised in Braintree and have three children in Braintree Public Schools. Connor is a freshman at Braintree High School, Emma is at East Middle School, and Noel attends Ross Elementary School.

Hume took 2,730 votes, besting runner-up John Carvello by a little more than 1,000. Powers earned 3,169 votes and Ryan 2,981. She credited hard work and the support of her family and friends for her performance Tuesday.

"I really couldn’t have done this without them," Hume said. "I had an incredible group of friends and supporters."

Residents Hume spoke with during the campaign were by and large happy with the town, she said, though many spoke about the space crunch facing Braintree schools, and about the full-day kindergarten program. 

During Hume's term on the School Committee she supported the expansion of full-day kindergarten. She also sits on the School Building Committee, tasked with recommending short- long-term space needs solutions. 

On the council, Hume said she would like to continue her focus on the schools, but also target budgetary issues, leaning on her 12 years of accounting experience and her six years helping oversee the school budget, which accounts for approximately half the town's annual budget.

"I’m excited to serve Braintree in a larger capacity," Hume said. "I love serving the town. I’m excited to get more involved."

She is also interested in parks and recreation, but said she will speak to the new council president come January about how she can best be utilized.

Charles Kokoros, current president of the council, said that because of Hume's experience and drive she will be an asset to the council next term. 

"She worked hard to get elected," he said.

Hume said that the Braintree schools and her work on the committee will always "have a special place in my heart." She will be sad to move on, but is also excited to enter a new chapter in her life.

"I’m leaving the School Committee but I’m always going to advocate for the schools no matter what I’m doing and now matter where I am," she said.