LYNN— After a 27-year-long career, City Clerk and Elections Chief Janet Rowe is set to retire at the end of this month.
Rowe said that her last day will be Feb. 27. The Lynn-native’s tenure includes a four-year stint at the Lynn Police Station, followed by a 14-year-long role as assistant city clerk under Mary Audley before being appointed as City Clerk, a role she officially took on in 2017.
“I’m so fortunate to have so many people in this office and the election office that have been here a long time, and they have my back every step of the way,” she said.
When looking back on her career, Rowe reflected on the tough times she took in stride, especially during the pandemic. Rowe, who had to report to work during that time, worked diligently to organize the city’s campaign to encourage Lynn residents to complete the census. She set up an email blast with over 200 people and connected with those in the community, all while grappling with loss.
“We lost over 250 citizens in Lynn,” she said. “There were a lot of really sad, sad stories during those two years. It was really tough, but we got through it.”
Then there was the 2020 Presidential Election, which posed its own challenge between social distancing and her team having to ensure safety measures were put in place to “keep the poll workers safe,” she said. And yet, even while being required to wear face masks, what she saw was the entire Lynn community, from the poll workers to the voters themselves, show up for each other. “I just found that everybody came together,” she said.
If she could offer herself any advice when she first took the job nearly a decade ago, she’d emphasize that the role requires compassion. “I think you have to be a people person for this job,” she said. “You absolutely have to be…because there are a million stories that come across the counter and we try to help so many people. Same thing with elections, you have to go by the law, but you try everything in your power to get that person to be able to vote.”
As she looks ahead at her life post-retirement, Rowe is excited about the idea of spending lots of time outside of City Hall:
“Just looking forward to relaxing, that’s for sure, and not having an alarm clock. I think I’m gonna throw that out,” she said. I look forward to traveling with my husband and spending more time with my kids, especially my grandkids. (I’m) really looking forward to enjoying life, and if I get bored, I’ll find something.”
