She displays transparency, resilience, a laser-guided intelligence, determination, inner strength and hard work, all topped off with a touch of beauty and class.  She is a legislator I love to watch, and one can learn a great deal by watching her.  For thousands of women she stands for punching through that old ‘glass ceiling’.  One of the most outstanding Republican women in the nation, a true work-horse within the Republican Party, she is celebrating 10 years of sweat inducing work on ethics and reform.

The people of Attleboro, Mansfield, North Attleboro and Norton can proudly boast that they are represented by this 

outstanding legislator. This is a marked accomplishment here in Massachusetts of course since there far fewer Republicans than Democrats. 

Poirier won her seat in a special election in 1999.

Rep. Poirier is a standout on Beacon Hill, rallying for the consolidation of Mass Transportation services before the Governor hits us taxpayers with increases.  She has long preached the need to go through the budgets with a fine tooth comb eliminating wasteful earmarks and imprudent funding, especially in today’s fiscal climate.

The RNC is beginning to pay attention to women in politics, so please take notice.  Betty Poirier is poised and intelligent ready to get tough in her own dynamic way.

A tranquil force. 

According to leadership scholar Prof. Joseph Raelin, twenty-first century organizations need to cultivate a different brand of leadership.  Empowering a community of leaders allows 

each team member to implicitly support the others while exerting concurrent and collaborative leadership.

Betty Poirier exemplifies such leadership.

She has the willingness and desire to collaborate as opposed to the traditional role which sees leadership as individual, forceful, 

and controlling.

Poirier is compassionate and collective and therefore greatly respected 

by those who quietly watch her from a distance.  She understands this type of leadership, has the confidence to allow others to lead when appropriate, but is not dependent upon any one person.  Through compassion for her 

constituents, she preserves the dignity of those who form her community.  Compassionate leaders realize that values attach to their leadership, there is no more important example of this than the values demonstrated in the sphere of public service.

She sits on the House Commmittee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and 

State Assets, as well as the Ethics Committee and three other committee assignments.

Rep. Poirier has had her share of bills in her ten years in the House, 

one current bill to her credit is the following:

H472*AN ACT REQUIRING PARENTAL CONSENT ON SEX EDUCATION IN PUBLIC

SCHOOLS.

Any city, town or school district maintaining or implementing any

curriculum, unit of study, school-sanctioned program or activity which

involves sex education shall offer it only on an elective basis.  Given

five school days notice, prior review of said materials, as well as the

questioning of teachers and administrators involved, will be extended to

parents, guardians and/or their legal representatives. Written parent or

guardian permission will be required for student participation. No

public school teacher or employee who feels that such curriculum or

activity violates his or her religious beliefs shall be required to

participate in any way.

As the mother of two children fully engaged in the public school 

system, I would say that this legislation is an example of her work 

which is to the benefit of families across our Commonwealth.  We need 

to retain the personal freedoms and rights to educate our children 

as we choose.  The method by which such a curriclae is taught 

is our business.  

When she was recently asked about this work her response was:  "I truly enjoy all aspects of my role as a State Legislator.  My primary motivation over the years is the fact that I'm in a position where I can help people.  I believe that as a Legislator, it affords me the opportunity to continually seek to improve the quality of lives of others and to restore the rights and privileges of so many throughout the Commonwealth."

Truly a lesson in the ultimate exercise of demonstrating leadership...for her there is no greater gift than serving others.

For those of us who have the privilege of observing and learning from her, this is our gift.