PEABODY — In the world of politics, largely dominated by men, one Peabody woman is doing her best to make sure her voice is heard.
An independent and outspoken leader, Anne Manning-Martin, Deputy Superintendent of the Massachusetts Department of Correction, has been on the Peabody City Council since 2008. She is currently the longest councilor and has been the council’s only female member her entire tenure.
Manning-Martin said her top priority in guiding the future of Peabody is maintaining quality of life.
“Peabody is a changed city with tremendous growth and development sometimes altering the quality of life,” she said. “I cannot overestimate the importance of listening to what our residents are saying. We need to listen to our constituents and fight for them. We need to be fiscally responsible in every decision we make to maintain or even improve quality of life for our residents.
“Given the current situation with the coronavirus, it’s even more important to be available to listen to our constituents and they are mighty right now. The challenge is still to be open and have transparency, and that is critical that we maintain that in municipal and state government.”
In last November’s election she tallied the third-highest vote total among council candidates, trailing only perennial favorite Tom Gould and Council President Tom Rossignoll.
Before joining the council, she served eight years on the Peabody School Committee.
She ran unsuccessfully for Sheriff of Essex County in 2016, losing to Lynn Police Chief Kevin Coppinger. Nonetheless, the experience was one Manning-Martin will never forget.
“It was incredible and just a great experience as I met so many people and made so many connections, not just in Essex Country, but across the state as well,” she said. “While I didn’t win, it was something I would never change or regret doing.”
Manning-Martin took over as Deputy Superintendent in May 2006. Her responsibilities include supervision of the 200 male-inmate Pre-Release facility, directly responsible for oversight of all operations, including classification, programming, and treatment and work release. She says her primary concern is maintaining public safety by practicing safe and effective re-entry initiatives throughout the Commonwealth.
Before serving as deputy superintendent, Manning-Martin was the Supervisor of Classification of and Reentry for the Suffolk Sheriff’s Department from November, 1993-May, 2006 where she was responsible for the safe and effective classification of 1,600 inmates.
A 1988 graduate of St. Anselm College where she majored in criminal justice, Manning-Martin was a three-sport standout and captain at Peabody High, playing field hockey, basketball and softball.
Manning-Martin said she feels her institutional knowledge has been key in her ability to make good, sound decisions for the city. She sees herself as an independent voice on the council, one who will speak up and ask questions, even unpopular ones, and even take a stance that may not align with her peers. She is most proud of the fact that she has promised the city in every one of her campaigns to scrutinize expenditures in an ongoing effort to help make Peabody affordable and safe.
As an independent/unenrolled in 2014, she worked on Gov. Charlie Baker’s successful gubernatorial campaign, then formally joined the Republican Party in 2015.
“I’ve supported him since 2010 and finally realized that being fiscally responsible my views were more aligned with the philosophy of the local Republican Party,” Manning-Martin said.
In her spare time, Manning-Martin served on the member Board of Trustees at Marian Court College from 2002-2007. She also volunteers at The Carroll Elementary School as a girls basketball coach.
She ran unsuccessfully for state representative in 2002 and 2004, losing to Joyce Spiliotis on both occasions.
Anne Marie Tobin can be reached at [email protected].
