<p>WHEREAS:<br>It is with profound sorrow that the School Committee learned of the passing of our esteemed colleague and friend, City Councilor Joan Pickett, on August 31, 2024 at the age of 69; and<br>WHEREAS:<br>City Councilor Joan Pickett was a dedicated public servant and a resident of Mid-Cambridge for the past 26 years, bringing a strong background in planning, municipal finance, and community leadership to the City Council during her tenure; and<br>WHEREAS:<br>Prior to joining the City Council, Joan Pickett's distinguished career included significant contributions in commercial lending, municipal bond finance, and strategic planning at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where she worked closely with both academic and community physicians and staff; and<br>WHEREAS:<br>Joan Pickett's commitment to community service was demonstrated through her leadership roles in organizations such as the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Association, Cambridge Streets for All, the Charles River Conservancy, and Caring Canines Pet Therapy, where she worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Cambridge residents and beyond; and<br>WHEREAS:<br>Joan Pickett's dedication to ensuring that the City's policies reflect the broad sentiment of the community, her desire to ensure that all community voices were given ample consideration in creating City policies, and her focus on maintaining the City's strong financial position were hallmarks of her service on the City Council; and<br>WHEREAS:<br>Joan Pickett earned the respect, admiration, and affection of her colleagues and people throughout the Cambridge community for her warmth, her thoughtfulness, her desire to serve, and her willingness to engage with every person she came across with a sense of true decency; and<br>WHEREAS:<br>The Cambridge community will greatly miss Joan Pickett's thoughtful approach to governance, her commitment to transparency and accountability, and her unwavering dedication to making Cambridge a safe, vibrant, and inclusive city for all, and her colleagues shall surely miss her warmth, knowledge, and amiability; now therefore be it<br>RESOLVED:<br>That the School Committee go on record expressing its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and community of City Councillor Joan Pickett for their tremendous loss; and be it further<br>RESOLVED:<br>That the School Committee Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Adane Dessie, husband of City Councillor Joan Pickett, on behalf of the entire School Committee.</p>
