When it came time for us to meet, Janet Lorden could not get out of her garage.

The power had gone out on her street and the garage door opener wasn’t working. But Nstar sprung her free, and we eventually sat down at the new library to discuss her run for Town Treasurer.

Of the three candidates for Town Treasurer, Ms. Lorden is the one complete political neophyte. And she knows that, explaining “It will be an uphill battle and that’s fine. I’m knocking on doors and the reactions of people keeps me going.”

Who is Janet Lorden?

She moved to Milton in 1993 and lives with her husband and two children (twins!) on Brush Hill Road. Their children attend the Tucker School, which they love.

Raised with a strong sense of civic engagement, Lorden has a history of community service. She has volunteered with Training, Inc., a national network of local job training organizations that assist low income individuals to learn skills to achieve gainful employment. Here in Boston, Training, Inc. is sponsored by the Boston YMCA. Most recently, Lorden assisted a community effort in setting up a trust fund for the Revelus family: “Milton Cares: A Fund for the Revelus Family”.

She has worked in financial services for 20+ years; first with The Boston Company, followed by Eaton Vance, and then Fidelity Investments. And why financial services? Lorden says, “I love math. I love the logic of it, and I love the creativity of it.”

Why Janet Lorden for Treasurer?

When asked why she is the candidate of choice, Lorden is clear. “The treasurer role is a role I know.” She believes that she is the only candidate who possesses a thorough knowledge of: tax reporting not only to the IRS, but to states and at times down to the municipal level;  buying and selling investment vehicles as a licensed professional; and mangement of retirement products. And she believes this skill set is a requirement for performing the job well. This is an opinion she reiterated when we discussed whether the Town Treasurer should be an elected or appointed position.

All the candidates are on the record and in agreement that the office of Town Treasurer should be an elected one. However, Lorden thinks a better approach that would get a better result is one in which the candidates are recommended by a committee that puts forward candidates that are the best qualified. She questions whether the other candidates running for Treasurer have the necessary financial knowledge and experience. She suspects “they don’t understand the nuances and intricacies of investing. They don’t know the questions to ask.”

In addition, according to Lorden, “I know how to reduce costs and make things as efficient as possible.”

Challenges and Achievements

Lorden is running against Charlie McCarthy and Jim McAuliffe. She understands the politics of Milton, and as a first-time candidate for town-wide office, she knows this will be a challenge.  Her response to that is, “I am not naive.” She also wanted to be clear, based on comments she had heard, that “I am not doing this because I need a job . . . more than anything this is how I can help the town, given its situation.”

When asked if she would be tough minded enough to deal with the pressures that could be exerted by various departments and committees (e.g. Board of Selectmen, School Committee, Warrant Committee), Lorden responded, “If you can survive Fidelity, you can survive anything.”

When asked about her most significant achievement, she paused. Then she said it was FAYBAS, a day spa where she provided financial consulting. Lorden didn’t know much about spas, and employees challenged her lack of knowledge about what was involved in the business; but management wanted her. She states, “I was pulled into a startup on the verge of bankruptcy. I had to make a decision on whether to bankrupt the company. I was able to stave off bankruptcy by renegotiating contracts, changing health plans, etc.” And the company survived.

And she is not above expressing some refreshing self deprecation. When asked about past mistakes and things she might do differently, Lorden was quick on the uptake, “You mean like this campaign?” she laughed.

At the end of the day

Lorden was not especially pleased with her appearances in the recent League of Women Voters’ debate. Be that as it may, Janet Lorden is a good, strong candidate for the office of Treasurer.  And how has the experience of running for town office been?  “It has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I am so glad I did this.“