On Wednesday, March 20, Hopkinton resident Joe Clark announced his candidacy for Select Board. Clark is seeking one of two seats vacated by outgoing Select Board Chair Muriel Kramer and member Irfan Nasrullah.

The Clark family has deep roots in Hopkinton, many who have provided notable public service to our town. Clark’s father, Ken, was a firefighter in Hopkinton for more than 40 years, culminating with his role as fire chief from 2009 – 2015. Clark’s two uncles were also firefighters in Hopkinton, and worked for Chief Clark. His mother, Marie, is a teacher at the Hopkins school. Clark’s great-great uncle Ernest Fecteau served as Hopkinton’s Town Treasurer from 1961 – 1966 and his great-great-grandfather Francis “Doc” Hayward was the Highway Surveyor from 1967 – 1972. 

Joe sees his candidacy as a continuation of service that was ingrained in him as a child. 

“My dad loved his job and was proud of what he and the department accomplished during his tenure, specifically around fire prevention efforts. He often referred to his job as a ‘calling’. I feel the same way; Hopkinton is in desperate need of leadership at the Select Board level right now, and I am excited to help,” said Clark.

A three-sport athlete at Hopkinton High School, Joe graduated in 2006. He went on to captain the lacrosse team at Pace University in New York and earned an accounting degree. He spent the early part of his career in finance departments, including a three-year stint at Deloitte, before transitioning to the technology sector and joining EMC, now Dell Computer. The move offered he and his wife, Caroline – who also grew up in Hopkinton – an opportunity to move back to the town they love. Daughters Ava and Natalie joined the family in 2019 and 2022, and Ava will start Kindergarten at the Marathon school this fall.

Clark credits his skills in finance as a strength he can lend to the Select Board. He feels strongly that economic development should be a key priority for the Select Board. “The Board should be a shepherd and a champion for small business,” he said. “One of the things I think is missing is a template or a framework to help businesses that want to locate in town. We don’t have anything like that, but Milford, Ashland, and other towns do. They really help businesses, but in Hopkinton we make new business owners figure out all the steps on their own. It takes courage to start a new business, and our town should be doing everything we can to help.”

A goal of Clark’s is to bring tax relief to Hopkinton residents. “We have large school bills coming, which we all agree are important. I voted Yes for the Elmwood school. We are known for our schools and we want to continue that, but we can’t jeopardize hardworking people that are trying to make ends meet. Their tax bills are going up, but if we can bring more business to town, both on Main Street and South Street, we’ll ensure there’s some balance in the system.” 

“I spent a lot of my childhood at the firehouse, and I have a ton of respect for our firefighters and police officers. I’ve known many of them for decades. When I see the officers we’ve lost in the last couple of years, it hurts to think we couldn’t hold on to them,” he said. 

Joe stresses that transparency and attentiveness will be his primary goal as a Selectman. He says he hears from a lot of people that they don’t feel the Select Board is listening to them. 

“People speak at public forum and they write letters, but nothing ever comes of it,” he said. “It makes them feel that their voice doesn’t matter.” 

“I have a lot of pride in our town, and it has been difficult for me to see us struggle over the past several years,” he said. “Hopkinton used to be a place people wanted to work. With the turnover we’ve seen at town hall and in the police department, I don’t think that’s the case anymore. I intend to change that.”

To reach Joe with questions, comments, or to lend your support, send an email to JoeClarkForHopkinton@gmail.com.