Selectman candidate Jennifer Petersen is looking to get back to basics.

“There is no direction” in town, she said. “All the groups are doing a good job, but there is no continuity.”

Her solution? Revisiting the Master Plan, a plan written in 1998 that sets forth a vision for Wareham’s future according to input gathered from a citizen survey, various meetings, and public workshops over the course of a two-year planning process and serves as a guide for planning and zoning strategy and decisions.

While Petersen says the Master Plan could use some updating, she believes it's a starting point for objective conversations on issues and eliminating personal opinions in politics.

“We need to have that plan on the forefront, it’s like a ship going along without a compass,” she stated. “The Board of Selectmen’s job is to appoint people to committees and evaluate their recommendations to see if it matches with that vision.”

Petersen, 41, said she hopes to nurture greater collaboration between the Selectmen and other governmental bodies.

"The forging of such relationships is critical to foster the leadership necessary for the residents of Wareham to prosper and the town to be recognized as a valued community," Petersen said.

Petersen has a Master of Arts in Public Administration, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology/Sociology, and is a Certified Public Housing Manager. Although this is her first time running for political office, she believes her experience as a former member of the Bridgeview Montessori School Board of Trustees and her current position as a quality enhancement specialist for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts makes her qualified her for the position.

She said her 22 years of experience in consumer needs analysis, program and policy development, and fiscal management will allow her to make educated decisions on the issues impacting Wareham.

“Wareham needs to expect nothing less than what we deserve,” she said. That includes addressing what she calls Wareham’s biggest challenges: crime, education, and financial stability.

“I think [part-time, interim Police Chief Richard Stanley] has good initiative,” Petersen said. “He has helped bring in new equipment and has made the town safer.” But she added that the town should have a deadline for his hiring, which it has been negotiating for a year.

If Stanley were to leave Wareham, she said: “We can not have a green police chief. With crime the way it is we need someone who can recognize gang and drug activity. We should expect nothing less than a full-time police chief that is available 24/7 and who sets direction for the force.”

Petersen noted that she is impressed overall with Town Administrator Mark Andrews and his understanding of strategic planning. “I like 'The Town Administrator’s Report,'” she added, referring to Andrews’ televised town update broadcast on WCTV. “It helps with transparency.”

She recognizes education as another challenge the town faces. “There are capital improvements needed throughout the school system. … It reputation is compromised amongst parents, external organizations, and the general citizenry of Wareham,” she said. “We need to support the development of new programs or alternative teaching methodologies to better meet the learning styles and preferences of our children.”

Petersen said that one strategy of enhancing the school system would be to “attract families to purchase our higher valued housing stock that sits vacant or underdeveloped.”

Petersen said she has noticed a lot of potential for business growth in town.

“Onset can be setup as a hub of art and culture,” she said. “I’d like to see a museum there.”

She also noted the employment opportunities the offices at A.D. Makepeace's Rosebrook Park could bring. “I’d like to see the [Wareham] Career Center do a full review on what the Rosebrook employment opportunities are.”

Petersen said she believes that Rosebrook will help broaden the medical industry and can draw in manufacturing operations, specifically biotech businesses, to vacant commercial properties in Wareham.

“Rosebrook will expand our relationship with Tobey Hospital and the rest of Southcoast Hospitals and bring in health care professionals,” she said. “It could bring in manufacturing which can bring in more money and more jobs.”

Petersen said she wants to leave behind a legacy of strong leadership.

“An efficient leader doesn't have to have a lot of accolades,” she explained. “In order for the team to agree they all need to feel they helped shape it. I want to develop a plan that will continue to be used for years."

Petersen has lived in West Wareham for seven years. "My favorite thing about Wareham is that it feels like a town, you know each other, people say 'hi' at the post office," she said. She lives with her husband David, their two young children Emma and Anthony, and their two labs, Finnegan O'Malley and Jessica Madison.