On Election Day, Nov. 8, local residents elected Karen Heck ’74 to serve as the next mayor of Waterville. Heck, who ran as an unenrolled candidate, earned 54 percent of the total votes, securing a victory over Democratic incumbent Dana Sennett and Republican candidate Andrew Roy.

“I’m excited and honored to have been elected mayor of Waterville,” Heck said.

Heck won’t officially become mayor until January, but she already has plans to start implementing the means to achieve her goals for Waterville.

One of the major tenets of her campaign was a promise to revitalize the city. As stated on her website, Heck believes that “one of the keys to the city’s vibrancy 40 years ago was that there were many young people raising families and engaged in the community. We can recreate that energy.”

Heck envisions the College playing a key role in this transformation. “One of my primary goals is to connect the town and the College in a way that benefits us all,” Heck said.

In terms of student involvement and volunteerism, the connection between Waterville and the College has been improving over time. “I know that hundreds of Colby students volunteer their time and energy in the town and schools and get off the Hill far more often than we did when I was there,” Heck said.

Still, Heck believes town-gown relations can be improved further and that students at the College can really aid in the revitalization of the city—particularly by making a commitment to shop locally whenever possible.

“We need to support the kinds of things that make a difference in people’s lives locally, whether it’s supporting local growers and crafters, local businesses or local non-profits. Our lives are enriched and community is built through [these] relationships,” Heck said. Most importantly, Heck welcomes student involvement. She encourages students at the College to contact her via e-mail at info@karenformayor.com or by visiting the Facebook page “Karen for Mayor.”

“I’m looking forward to working with students to see how we can create a community that is greater than the sum of the Hill and the ’Ville,” Heck said.