Please accept this letter of thanks from me to the citizens of Newton for the wonderful years I have spent working alongside them for the City of Newton. The past week has been bittersweet as I concluded my work for the City of Newton and began preparing for my next step professionally.
In 2013, when I started as an analyst for the city, I would never have fathomed the variety of projects and programs I would have the opportunity to work on, but even more so, I did not know how welcoming and encouraging the community would be for my husband and me. It has been a great privilege working alongside volunteers and coworkers to bring projects like Get to Know Newton, the restoration of the downtown murals, the installation of wayfinding signage and Newton Fest all the way from concept to reality. It has also been exciting to see the variety of ideas and optimism that citizens have for the future of Newton through focus groups, citizen surveys and community planning processes. Seeing the growth and change in Newton firsthand has been so inspiring, and I am proud to have been a part of it.
I also want to thank the remarkable staff and elected officials at the City of Newton for their professionalism and friendship. Working in collaboration to achieve the goals of the city council and the community has been possible only through your enthusiasm and dedication to service.
Finally, I would like to give a special thank you to those volunteers and leaders who have worked alongside me at events over the years. No matter if we are weatherizing homes, setting up community festivals in blistering heat or dreaming up the next big thing, you have matched my enthusiasm with more enthusiasm and my ideas with bigger ideas. You are driving this community forward, and I am thankful to call you friends.
Looking ahead, I am excited to continue being a part of the Newton community as a private citizen. There is still so much exciting work to be done in Newton, and I look forward to participating.
Natalie Umsted
Newton