Conservative Frank McMillan Running for North Andover Town Moderator

March, 2012

Frank MacMillan
Frank MacMillan

Dr. Frank MacMillan, Jr. is running for Town Moderator in North Andover with a campaign theme of finding “The Right Balance.” In these tough political and economic times, Frank brings a varied background in leadership, learning and character, the Right Balance of qualities that will serve North Andover well.

As a medical doctor who advises people every day on issues of health, Frank understands the value of listening. This is an important quality given the unchallengeable power that the Town Moderator has in guiding the Town Meeting’s deliberations.

Frank MacMillan believes in fairness. He will preside over the debate, but will not sway or monopolize it. The Town Moderator decides when all sides have been heard, closes debate and calls for a vote. In this important role, the people of North Andover can trust Frank to remain impartial at all times. He realizes that the Town Moderator holds an extraordinary amount of influence in the direction of town government, and has a host of duties before, during and after Town Meetings.

The Town Moderator has the sole authority to appoint members of the Finance Committee, a seven-member board that is set up to impartially score, vet, and make recommendations for favorable or unfavorable action on Warrant Articles. Frank understands that this is a vital function that affects serious financial decisions on our spending priorities. The Finance Committee has a trust, or fiduciary, to the Town Meeting. Frank values this trust, and will assure that all finance committee appointments are carefully made to reflect fiscal responsibility, the community at large, and help the Town Meeting prioritize our spending needs.

The Moderator and the School Committee share the responsibility to appoint the School Building Committee. This important Committee oversees the money appropriated by the Town Meeting for school construction. As Town Moderator, Frank will select and appoint trustworthy individuals to serve, while finding the Right Balance between the large capital needs of the schools and of the town.

Frank MacMillan has an established reputation for fairness, and can disagree without being disagreeable. He has demonstrated these qualities in his service on the North Andover Board of Health. In all of his professional and civic endeavors, Frank deeply understands that leadership is more about listening than lecturing. Frank is a recognized leader in his profession. He was chosen by his peers to be President of the Medical Staff at Merrimack Valley Hospital, and also serves as its current Chief of Medicine.

Frank has considerable experience in running meetings both large and small. He is formally trained in parliamentary procedures, and attended a Mass Medical Society course on Presiding Skills and Leadership run by Dr Barry Glazer MD, CPP-T, Past President of the American Institute of Parliamentarians.

Frank understands that effective Parliamentary Procedure creates the Right Balance, respecting the needs of both the majority and minority. While Town Meeting uses a somewhat less formal version of Parliamentary Procedure with considerable local tradition, Frank believes that the Town Moderator’s responsibility is to educate the voters on how to actively participate, while making them aware of their rights within the meeting. That, he believes, is the essence of fairness.

Frank was raised in North Andover, attended Franklin Elementary and North Andover Middle School. He is a graduate of St John’s Prep, and holds both Bachelor and Masters Degrees from Boston College. He earned his medical degree at Boston University, and trained in the Harvard system at Beth Israel Deaconess. Frank completed his Fellowship in Gastroenterology at the Lahey Clinic, and last year, completed his GI Board Recertification. He is also a small business owner employing five people. He understands first-hand the challenges of North Andover’s hard-working citizens.

Frank returned to North Andover to raise his family in 1999. He has served the town on the Board of Health and as an assistant coach with John Whidden for NABCC youth baseball. Frank is married to Laura MacMillan, a recognized good government advocate and a substitute teacher at Kittredge Elementary School. Their eldest daughter, Erica, will be graduating from Austin Prep this spring and intends to study Nursing. Their youngest children, twins Daniel and Brenna, are fourth graders at The Kittredge School, and are involved in music and sports.

Frank’s extended family has a distinguished legacy of town service. His father, Dr. Frank MacMillan, Sr., served on the North Andover Board of Health for fifteen years, his later years as its chairman. He continues to serve the town as North Andover’s Public Health Physician. Frank’s brother Paul served on the North Andover Police Department for ten years. His other brothers, John and Edward, live and raise their families in North Andover.

Frank MacMillan is committed to service, community, and tradition. His qualifications, temperament and attitude will allow him to serve the people of North Andover effectively. As Town Moderator, he will listen and lead. Frank will work tirelessly, openly, and honestly, with no personal political agenda, to solve important issues by creating “The Right Balance.”