A Conversation with Mayor Mike Cahill 

One of the roles of the North Shore Alliance is to stay on top of what’s going on economically within our state and region. To do this, it is helpful for us to connect with state and local leaders to get a better sense of where we stand as a state and region, in regard to community and economic development. 

In a recent North Shore Conversation, a weekly radio show produced by the North Shore Alliance for Economic Development and hosted by Laura Swanson, we had the opportunity to chat with Mike Cahill, Mayor of Beverly, Massachusetts and lifelong resident of the North Shore. 

Who Is Mike Cahill? 

A proud Beverly native, Mike Cahill has lived in three neighborhoods of Beverly including Centerville, the Cove, and currently the Montserrat area. A Beverly High School graduate and former teacher, Cahill thought at one point that he would remain in the field of education for the entirety of his career. 

That was until he became concerned with environmental policies in our region. This spurred him to become a State Representative for Beverly and eventually run for Mayor of his hometown, a position he has held for 9 years. 

The Mayor also enjoys traveling, history and culture, staying active, and spending time with his friends and extended family.

What’s Going on in Beverly? 

In the past few decades, Beverly lagged behind in the housing industry. Recently, however, small businesses and the redevelopment companies have put more of a focus on investing time and money into making vibrant improvements in the housing, transportation, and downtown business district. 

The lack of affordable housing for different generations of Beverly residents is cited as one of the great challenges by Mayor Cahill. Beyond housing, he also discussed the need for the transportation system to be changed to include local town to town transportation rather than just Beverly to Boston via the rail system. 

The 15th Annual Climate Protection Award

Near and dear to the Mayor’s heart is his concern for the environment and the impact of fossil fuels on our region and planet. His work, in conjunction with other majors (Mayor Driscoll of Salem) in the region helped secure the 15th Annual Climate Protection Award for the City of Beverly, Massachusetts last year. 

He explained that both public and private sectors worked together to make changes in our environment and transportation that have both benefits the region and Earth as a whole. Some of the changes that have been occurring in Beverly recently include: 

• Creating a Climate Action Plan.
• Reducing Greenhouse gasses through electrified school buses.
• Electrifying commuter rail lines.
• Swapping out systems from oil and gas, to electric and using solar on public property such as the high school ground solar arrays, police department roof arrays, solar arrays on the town’s landfill, and geothermal systems to heat and cool. 
• Grants for residents to complete Deep Energy Retrofits. 
• Tightening up buildings to use less fuel to heat and cool. 

Each of these steps are a way of transitioning from our dependence on fossil fuels to a more clean, renewable energy source. 

To hear the entire interview on North Shore Converstaions please click the link and find out more about what’s going on Beverly, Massachusetts as we come out on the other side of this pandemic.