Elena Komioti

Dear Concord Voter,

I will not take your time to sing the praises of Fatima Mezdad’s personal qualities. Anyone who has spent as much time working with families and children and has created such long and constructive relationships, as Fatima has, undoubtedly possesses integrity, dedication and tenacity. One of these families is mine, and I wholeheartedly attest to Fatima’s enthusiasm and commitment in everything she does. In the twenty years I have known Fatima, first as an educator to my children and then as a dear friend, I have experienced, first-hand, her indomitable spirit and ceaseless drive for delivering value, caring support, and effective change in all her associations, personal, or professional.

I will not compare Fatima to the other candidates for the public service position she is nominated for on the basis of efficacy and suitability. If the other candidates are as effective and persistent in pursuing excellence and advocacy in education as Fatima is, Concord is a fortunate town! What sets Fatima apart are her unique, invaluable perspective and the experiences that she brings to the table within the Concord community and its school district.

Fatima confidently straddles diverse worlds, many languages, different educational systems, and distinct cultures. From her North African birth-country to her home in North America, Fatima combines the Mediterranean Middle Eastern dedication for collective success based on strong family and community values as well as the uniquely American drive for individual innovation and success. Growing up as the only daughter among six brothers in her Algerian community, and as a native Berber in a predominantly Arab society, Fatima has lived the need for advocacy for minorities, specifically women’s and children’s rights. She has always been the strong, modern, independent woman who can effectively negotiate and balance needs and priorities in a realistic, reasonable manner.  

Throughout her life, Fatima has actively navigated and successfully adjusted in varied cultures, value systems, and religions. She has never shied away from challenges. With her positive attitude and skillful interconnectedness, she has found personal happiness and success first as an educator, and recently as a businesswoman. As every immigrant and every mother knows, this journey has not been without challenges and personal sacrifices. If for others social justice is but a buzzword, for Fatima it has been a way of life. With courage, determination and perseverance, Fatima has risen through prejudice and biases to become the wonderful person that she is and raise her two sons with acceptance and sensitivity to their individual needs.

In the progressive, welcoming community of Concord, Fatima has found a home. She is eager to give back to the community by putting her strong work ethic and exceptional qualities at the town’s service. I trust that you can find no better or fiercer advocate for your school committee than Fatima Mezdad.

Sincerely,

Elena Komioti

Brookline MA

Jason and Wendyanne Gray

We are proud to support and endorse Fatima Mezdad for the Concord School Committee. We believe her talents, dedication, and background will bring a much-needed fresh perspective for Concord students and their families.

We first met Fatima when we moved to Concord 4 years ago.  Our son and Fatima’s son were in the same class at Thoreau and Fatima welcomed us with open arms and gave us insights to Concord public schools. She was always willing to assist us in any way and made our transition to Concord easier for us and our son. She was a guiding light and we can’t say enough how wonderful she is.

Fatima truly believes in the best possible education for all students, from providing resources to our educators to lessening the stress on our children. She was asked by the Concord Middle School administration to serve on the Challenge Success steering committee, which she gladly accepted. She gave her time, energy and resources to bring ideas, guidelines and steps to reduce stress in middle school students.  Fatima, along with other parents, students and educators from CMS, attended the Challenge Success fall conference Stanford University in 2018 to better understand the program and learn about ways our children can get the best possible education and tools needed to succeed and thrive while maintaining a balanced life.

Fatima cares about the success of Concord public schools, she has the needed insights and experience as her two sons are currently at CMS and CCHS. Fatima will continue to advocate and advise for a comprehensive inclusion in our school district.  She will bring fresh new ideas and a level of excitement, and energy to the School Committee.

Fatima is a friend, and a resource, and someone we believe in. We happily entrust her leadership with our son’s education, and we ask that you join us in supporting this outstanding candidate and fellow parent.

Jason and Wendyanne Gray

29 Center Village Dr.

Concord, MA 01742

 

Aran Golstein

Dear Concord Voter,

I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Fatima Mezdad for years. She has always struck me as a highly intelligent, dynamic, skilled person that seems capable of doing anything she sets her mind to.  Her ability to manage a business, while raising two boys with grace, as a loving mom, but also as a natural educator has inspired me tremendously as a new Dad. Fatima listens intently.  She is genuine. She is even-keeled.  She thinks holistically, a defining quality that the world sorely needs more of.  I feel lucky to have called her a colleague and friend. Concord would be extremely fortunate to have her on the School Committee.  

Aran Golstein

Chef, Educator

Noah’s Table

Worcester, MA

Kathleen Snook

Letter to the Editor

I am writing to enthusiastically support Fatima Mezdad for election to the Concord School Committee. I first met Fatima when I was a member of the School Committee. She was engaged in school issues and I found her to be passionate, articulate, and thoughtful.

As I came to know Fatima as a friend, I was in awe of her broad background and experiences in education. Fatima has a wonderfully positive, engaging, and inviting personality. She brings to every discussion a new perspective with balanced insights. She does so in an even-handed, respectful, and steady manner. And, Fatima also listens – so important! I have learned so much from her.

Fatima is a natural leader who steps up to serve and contribute when she sees a need, whether it is in her group of friends, her neighborhood, our schools, or the Town. While running her own business and raising two sons, she has still found time over the years to volunteer in our schools, on the Concord Housing Authority Board, and with the Concord-Carlisle Community Chest.

Fatima will be an amazing asset to the School Committee: a sound and steady voice in support of our Town’s children, families, and educators. Do not let this opportunity to have Fatima serve on this important committee go by. Please join me in voting for Fatima Mezdad on March 31.

Kathleen Snook

Old Rd to 9 Acre Corner

Deina Abdelkader 

Dear Concord voter,

This is a letter of recommendation for Ms. Fatima Mezdad in support of her candidacy for the Concord School Committee.

Ms. Mezdad has been my colleague for over twenty years as well as my teacher of the French language and culture for a one year.

Ms. Mezdad has demonstrated a continued passion throughout her career in education on many levels. She has taught at the college level as well as elementary, middle, and high schools. Her patience and tenacity to provide a safe and strong learning environment in those experiences prove her readiness to take on a role in the Concord School Committee. In addition, Ms. Mezdad’s background brings a diverse and rich experience to the community of Concord. Her experience spans a wide spectrum of distinct but interwoven cultures from Africa to America.  This richness of personal and professional experience enables her to see and hear differently, to communicate and negotiate with tact and consideration. In addition, her personal experience with pediatric mental illness as a parent and her understanding of school-home connection is also an area of strength for Ms. Mezdad.

As a lecturer and a teacher, Mezdad has found a balance between seeking high achievement and rigor for her students as well as a respect and appreciation for their life circumstances and their inextricable need for family connection.

Mezdad supports the inclusion and representation of diverse backgrounds as well as neurodiversity.  She has been supporting families of students with disabilities through her volunteer work with SEPAC.  She believes that the district can attain the goals of inclusion and cultural competency when its School Committee embodies inclusion.

This letter strongly supports Ms. Mezdad’s candidacy for the Concord School Committee based on her above illustrated strengths as well as her strong track record of public service.

Deina Abdelkader 

Associate Professor,

University of Massachusetts Lowell

Ian Goldstein, PhD

Concord Conservatory of Music

West Concord Union Church
1317 Main Street Concord, MA 01742

Dear Concord voter,

I write in enthusiastic support of Fatima Mezdad’s candidacy for Concord School Committee.

I have known Fatima since 2016, when she worked with my brother, Chef Aran Goldstein. As we soon found out, she and I have other Concord friends in common; people from various walks of life, different religious and professional backgrounds, who share with Fatima common traits of caring for others, kindness, and strong humanism. Indeed, these are characteristics that define Fatima, along with her keen intellect, deep moral conviction, and a commitment to social justice.

To be a dedicated advocate for all of Concord’s students and their families requires more, however.

Leadership on School Committee requires being willing and able to see and hear beyond one’s own perspective. Fatima is a quadrilingual mother, educator, and professional, with extensive life experience on two continents.  

Leadership requires skillful diplomacy. One of Fatima’s greatest strengths in this area is her communication style. A sincere and empathic listener, she recognizes the need to hear in order to be heard in seeking to build consensus and resolve conflict. Fatima is soft-spoken by nature, balanced with a steady confidence that disarms and invites conversation—a “keep calm and carry on” demeanor, to be sure.

Leadership requires dedication. It means wanting to be here, to show up every day to do the work, and to serve. Fatima walks the walk. Her work with organizations like Concord SEPAC supporting special education students, Challenge Success, rethinking how to engage and support all types of learners, and the Concord Housing Authority speak to Fatima’s energetic commitment to public service.

I serve on the faculty of the Concord Conservatory of Music, where, as a teacher, I have been fortunate to work with, and get to know, many families in this community, all of whom value diversity, seek clear and constructive communication, encourage honest effort, and want the best for their kids. Fatima lives those values.

Fatima Mezdad has chosen Concord. Her unique perspective, deep and broad intellectual and social competence, and steadfast dedication to the Town of Concord provide all the reason in the world for Concord to vote for her to serve on School Committee.

Sincerely,

Ian Goldstein, PhD

Faculty, Concord Conservatory of Music

Ian Goldstein works in Concord, MA.  He and his family live in Milton, MA.