To the Editor: 

I am writing to urge Williamstown voters to elect Bilal Ansari to the Williamstown Select Board on Tuesday, May 10. Dr. Ansari has dedicated himself to a life of service, to helping people resolve difficult situations. He listens intently and responds carefully with compassion. He appeals to our best nature. These are essential skills needed at this moment in our town. 

Dr. Ansari does not believe that he alone has the solutions to all of the challenges facing our town. Instead, he wants to hear from those comfortable speaking up and also those who — until now — have not felt comfortable nor heard at all. He believes it will take a village to share concerns and work together to make Williamstown a better place for everyone to live, work, and grow. But making that happen takes a special type of skilled leadership. 

Bilal Ansari is the candidate blessed with that skilled leadership and a stake in our town’s quality of life. He has deep roots in this town: his ancestors lived and worked here. He is committed to an approach based in kindness and inclusion. He is the candidate who can and will help us reach a new, inclusive, and more equitable chapter in our town’s history. 

I ask for your vote on May 10 for Bilal Ansari for the Williamstown Select Board. Thank you. 

Hugh L. Guilderson is from Williamstown, Mass. 

Editor’s Note: Bilal Ansari is Assistant Vice President for Campus Engagement at the College.