UMass Lowell News Release: Sept. 4, 2013

Contacts:  Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978 934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

Boston Mayor Tom Menino to Speak at UMass Lowell: Lunchtime Lecture Series to feature iconic official, health-care, media topics

LOWELL, Mass. – The Honorable Thomas Menino – a national champion for cities and the longest-serving mayor in Boston’s history – will reflect on his public-service career and his future beyond City Hall when he visits UMass Lowell on Monday, Oct. 21.

“A Conversation with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino,” will be just one of three programs in the 2013 Lunchtime Lectures Series to be held at 11:45 a.m. at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, 50 Warren St., Lowell. Free and open to the public, each program includes a complimentary buffet. For reservations, which are required, e-mail artsandideas@uml.edu or call 978-934-3107. To accommodate demand, reservations for Menino’s presentation are required by Monday, Oct. 7.

“The Lunchtime Lectures bring outstanding speakers to the campus and community in an open setting,” said Paul Marion, UMass Lowell’s executive director of community relations and co-director of the university’s Center for Arts and Ideas, which is co-sponsoring the series with the Moses Greeley Parker Lectures and support from community partners.

Nicknamed the “Urban Mechanic,” Menino’s calling card is his work strengthening the fabric of Boston’s many neighborhoods. He served five terms as a city councilor representing Boston’s Hyde Park section from 1984 to 1993 before ascending from city council president to acting mayor in July 1993. By that November, he was elected as the people’s choice. Throughout his tenure as a public servant, he has strived to enhance Boston’s affordable-housing stock, schools, sustainability, investment in business and education and inclusive health-care programs. Social justice issues rest atop his agenda, including his advocacy of same-sex marriage and criminal-records reform.

In addition to his service to Boston, Menino served as the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors from 2002 to 2003. After 20 years at Boston’s helm, the Democrat announced earlier this year he will not seek a sixth term. Boston voters will elect the next mayor on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Other Lunchtime Lectures include:

• Health-Care Reform – Monday, Sept. 30. Economist Stuart Altman, who serves as the chairman of the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, will share his insights on state and federal health-care programs. Convened in 2012 by Gov. Deval Patrick, the 11-member commission is charged with reforming the state’s health-care delivery and payment systems to improve quality and reduce costs. Prior to his appointment, Altman spent 12 years as chairman of the Prospective Payment Assessment Commission (ProPac), the group formed by Congress to advise the government on Medicare reform. The event is co-sponsored by LowellGeneralHospital. Reservations for this program are required by Monday, Sept. 23.
• “The End of Big: New Media and Society” – Tuesday, Oct. 29. A forecaster of business, politics and culture in the digital age, Nicco Mele will explore how the ability to stay connected via social media is rapidly changing the world. An entrepreneur and consultant, Mele’s first book, “The End of Big: How the Internet Makes David the New Goliath,” was published earlier this year. Named one of the “Best and Brightest” by Esquire magazine, he is the former Internet operations director of Vermont Gov. Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign. Reservations for this program are required by Tuesday, Oct. 22.

Support for the lecture series is also provided by Prof. Bill Mass of the UMass Lowell Center for Industrial Competitiveness, the UMass Lowell College of Health Sciences, Lowell General Hospital and Middlesex Community College.