Growing a Concord for All.
Joe Palumbo is running to be the newest member of the Concord Select Board in the upcoming Special Election. Concord has a long history of people working together for what they believe in. They have accomplished hard but amazing things. That is the work ahead for all of us. Generational change, opportunities for housing and economic vibrancy, and a community firmly rooted in the 21st century. That is what we can build together.
Let’s to do this together.
Joe’s Story
Born in Concord and the grandson of immigrants, Joe grew up on a farm on Lexington Road and attended Concord Public Schools. His family and community supported him in becoming one of the first in his family to attend college, earning a BA in History from Boston University and a Master's in Leadership from California State University.
As a teacher, principal, and district leader, Joe saw firsthand how education and local leadership can transform lives and communities. As a small business owner, he went on to found Focus on Results, a company dedicated to developing the skills municipal and civic leaders need to build communities where everyone can thrive. Concord had done that for him.
Through his work, Joe has trained and coached hundreds of municipal and civic leaders, helping them navigate challenges, learn new skills, and work together effectively. He is a nimble problem solver and has helped groups work through issues of communication and trust to get back on track and show results. He is also the author of the book The Power of Focus and has written for several professional publications, including Education Week. His training in history and commitment to telling fuller stories of all the people who built our nation and fought for the expansion of freedom and equality have led to his work as a historical interpreter in the Boston area.
Joe moved back to the community in 1998 to care for his family, and in 2015, he and his husband, Steve, moved to West Concord. Joe has also taken on a range of leadership roles in Concord's civic and community life. He has served on Concord's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission since 2022, including as Co-Chair in 2023–24, and is a member of Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan's Anti-Hate, Anti-Bias Task Force.
Joe also serves as Co-President of The Robbins House, helped lead the Concord Black Heritage Trail project, hosts the podcast A Concord for All, and launched Concord's annual townwide Juneteenth Celebration in 2023 and Concord Pride in 2024. As a member of the Concord250 Executive Committee and Chair of its Events Committee, he helped coordinate activities commemorating Concord's role in the nation's founding.
Through these efforts, Joe has spent the last six years working at the grassroots level with neighbors, community organizations, and town leaders to bring people together and build a community that truly welcomes all.
This experience will guide Joe's work on the Select Board. He knows that we have amazing opportunities ahead of us. We have the opportunity to keep taxes in check while generating new revenue by welcoming new residents, young families, and local workers who want to live in the community they serve. We have opportunities to provide for seniors who would like to stay or those who just want to come back home.
Prudent fiscal management, intelligent land-use policy, and creative, optimistic leadership will allow us to create a Concord for the next 50 years.
Together, we can grow a Concord for all.
What We Can Build
A Concord That Is Affordable
Taxes need to be held in check. New housing with affordable options is needed. Smart land use policy can help with both. Let’s generate some revenue, build some homes for young people, workers, and our seniors, and watch our 21st-century community thrive.
A Concord That Is Welcoming
We thrive as a community when we are clear that everyone belongs in Concord. Every person of every ability deserves to feel safe and welcome in our town. The power and the energy that come with welcoming new friends, neighbors, and citizens are unmatched. It built this nation. It built this town. Let’s keep going.
A Concord That Is Optimistic
Great things happen when we believe in our own power to achieve. From patriots, abolitionists, and suffragists to the Greatest Generation, the fight for equality, and the environmental movement that inspired today's sustainability leaders, Concord has a long history of people working together for what they believe in. They have accomplished hard but amazing things. That is the work ahead for all of us.
