Tsongas names Martin …District Director
The rumors are true. Last night, I received a call from Athletic Director Brian Martin, who is also a former Lowell councilor, mayor and city manager, announcing that he will be the chief of staff district director for our newly elected Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, working from her office here in downtown Lowell. As much as I am excited for Martin, it is a loss for Lowell High School’s athletics department. In his brief tenure on the job, he managed to increase student participation in athletics by 30% while also increasing minority participation by 31%–huge factors when you consider how being involved in school activities often helps keep students engaged in their education. As athletic director, Martin was also key to developing more sports offerings at the middle schools, which served as feeder programs for the high school. During our conversation last night, he promised to “not leave us in the lurch,” but I know he is also anxious to get started in his new role of serving the Fifth District. For my part, I promised him that he’d be hearing from me regarding increased federal spending for education. (The federal government spends an astoundingly miniscule amount on education—less than one percent of the entire budget.) So, congratulations to Brian Martin, and we’ll be in touch!