What are the real pressures facing local leaders in Massachusetts in 2026? In this episode, we speak with the outgoing president and incoming president of the MMA — Franklin Town Administrator Jaime Hellen and Amesbury Mayor Kassandra Gove, respectively — as they go in-depth about how local leaders are often torn in multiple directions and work to achieve success for their communities under the constraints of time, staffing and budgets. They share how fortunate they feel to do the work they do, despite the challenges, and how the MMA is the “glue” that brings local leaders together to solve mutual problems. They also discuss tackling funding shortfalls, and what they’ve learned from their mutual love of hiking.

For Further Reading:

More on Jaime and Kassandra’s leadership: https://www.mma.org/jamie-hellen-is-new-mma-president-kassandra-gove-is-vp/

To learn more about the MMA: www.mma.org