Norwood Bulletin Profiles Leah
O'Leary begins an uphill campaign
Hopes to unseat longtime incumbent John Rogers in Democratic Primary
By Mason Neely, The Norwood Bulletin (June 1, 2006, Page 9)
Leah O Leary has faced a number of uphill battles in her years of service - heading a self-run adoption agency, completing degrees and professorships and Boston and Brandeis universities, raising three successful children.
When the Norwood native recently announced her intent to run against one of Beacon Hill's most influential Democrats, Rep. John Rogers, D-Norwood, O'Leary began an equally impressive, if not considerably more treacherous task. However, she's quick to point out that any challenge, even the unseating of a 14-year incumbent, should be done on your own terms.
"I didn't get into this race to run against John Rogers," she said from her office at A Red Thread Adoption Services, Inc., the nonprofit agency she founded in 1999. "I did it to try to win the office and serve this community.
"... I wouldn't be running if I didn't think I could win and work for the benefit of the families who live here. The district hasn't had an open debate about many issues in the last 14 years."
Among the opinions that O'Leary considers the most fundamental to her campaign are her stances on quality of life issues like the creation of affordable housing, tax overrides for the building of a new high school and improved public safety service and increased state local aid funding for public infrastructure, which, she said, can relieve the burden of property tax hikes on working families and seniors.
"The most important choices I'll have to make as a legislator are the bread and butter issues that Democrats are concerned with," she said.
Though a political newcomer, O'Leary, whose family ties to Norwood go back more than a century, holds a master's degree in Social Work from Boston University and completed the required coursework and comprehensive exams - save for the dissertation - in the doctoral program at the Florence Heller School for Advanced Studies in Social Welfare Research and Policy at Brandeis University.
Upon retiring from the social services field in 1992, O'Leary joined the faculties at BU and Boston College on a part-time basis where she taught welfare policy and research methods.
As a social work professional, she has worked in the public sector for more than 30 years, including positions with the state Departments of Public Welfare and Social Services, all culminating with the creation of A Red Thread.
Named after a Chinese proverb that speaks of an invisible red thread that connects people who are destined to come together in life, the agency has expanded its service throughout the commonwealth and Rhode Island to both traditional and non-traditional families in a few years, a track record that O'Leary said, like all of her prior experience, has well prepared her for public life.
"That's 35 years of work that I believe is an excellent background and experience to fulfill the duties of a legislator," she said.
"Ultimately, both jobs are about impacting the public, directly affecting families. We're going to be looking at programs that can benefit (working class) families and improve their lives."
With a Sept. 19 Democratic Primary fast approaching, both O'Leary and Campaign Manager Rebecca Wilsker said it's that willingness to address the everyday concerns of those in the district that will distinguish her candidacy.
"It's always hard when you take on an incumbent, but there hasn't been a challenger for this seat in 14 years, " Wilsker said. "We're out there to not just introduce Leah to the voters, but to have a debate. There's merit in that, particularly when there hasn't been much discussion in a long time."
Added O'Leary, "Every day of this campaign, we're going to be meeting with voters and asking what they want from a representative. Many people feel that it's time for a change, time to see what someone else can accomplish. I'm concerned with providing a voice to those people and the families who want that change. This is the time."
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