O P I N I O N

THE SOAPBOX

Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.

Many people know Michael in his role as Hillsborough County Attorney but I want to share some perspective of what he is like behind the scenes.  A lucky few know Michael like I know him. We have been together for 13 years and married for six of those years.  We met during our first year at Suffolk University Law School.  We were both night students, which means we had full-time jobs while attending school in the evenings.  We managed this hectic schedule for four years.  During that time Michael worked at Investors Bank and Trust and in Harvard’s endowment office.  

Both of us came from blue-collar/lower middle-class backgrounds.  Michael grew up in rural Vermont where his parents owned and operated a country store, living above it.  Interestingly, we both went to Northeastern University for undergrad, but did not meet until law school.  At Northeastern, Michael was part of the five-year co-op program, meaning he would go to school for a semester and then work for a business that participated in the co-op program for a semester.  In total, between undergrad and law school, Michael was in school for nine years (yes nine) while mostly working a professional full-time job.

Michael has always been a dedicated, hard worker.  He did not have the fortunate opportunities that many other people in our profession do.  He was not born into a family of attorneys or a white-collar family.  He has always had to work hard for what he has accomplished.  

The combination of his childhood experiences and work ethic has translated into a humble, dedicated leader of the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office.  He has worked to receive training from the United States Secret Service to help end the solicitation of minors over the internet.  He created specialized prosecution units to help his team focus their work on particular types of criminal cases.  This includes the Special Victims Unit which focuses on domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse.  

This. in addition to being a strong advocate for his team. 

He worked tirelessly to get an increase in the budget so that prosecutors in his office could reduce their average caseloads from over 160 cases to 120.  When COVID hit, he pushed to allow his team to work remotely so that they could do their jobs effectively without risk to their mental and physical well-being. While undergoing the stress of intense scrutiny from the Attorney General’s Office, Michael repeatedly said to me “I’m just worried about my team.”  His focus has never been about himself, but about the office and the people of Hillsborough County. 

On top of this, he does not shy away from the grunt work associated with the job.  He has spent many hours on the weekend or after work picking up and putting together desks and other office equipment for his team, fixing technology issues, obtaining the proper PPE for the office, speaking with law enforcement, etc.  

While Michael has received what can be, at best, described as incredible flack for his management of his office, people seemingly forget the turmoil in which his predecessor left the office.  Before leaving, the Attorney General’s Office was doing a “360-degree” review of Dennis Hogan’s leadership.  Hogan even described the office as “being on the brink of collapse.”  In March 2019, Michael received the findings from the Attorney General’s review of Hogan’s mismanagement and he began working on fixing those issues.  However, years of ineffective leadership cannot be repaired in just a few months.  

I adamantly disagree with the methods taken by the Attorney General’s Office and was shocked by the comments made during an Executive Council meeting.  However, Michael, believing that the additional help would benefit his office and the people of Hillsborough County, welcomed the support.  Instead of taking it as an affront, he worked in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office to make sure he could continue to implement the changes he started when he took office.  He acted with grace and dignity and focused on what was best for the office.

The work-life balance of leading the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office and running a campaign in the midst of a pandemic is not easy.  However, Michael is a loving, caring father to our 4-year-old daughter and makes sure to schedule time for both of us.  He attends Samantha’s tea parties, grows quarantine vegetables together in the garden, helps her learn how to roller skate and ride a bike, and tries to get her to root for the Patriots on Sundays.

Before November I hope that all residents of Hillsborough County will get the opportunity to get to know Michael like I do. If you do, you will find a humble, witty, caring, charismatic, and dedicated leader who will win your vote.

Beg to differ? Agree to disagree? We welcome thoughtful prose on topics of interest no matter what your point of view. Send submissions to carolrobidoux@manchesterinklink.com, subject line: The Soapbox.

Karen Hewes is a partner and founding attorney of EdLaw New England, PLLC, a firm representing children and families in a variety of educational issues in NH and VT.