City of Everett honors Dorothy Martin Long and celebrates Women’s History Month

Community gathered at the Connolly Center for a luncheon

The City of Everett recently joined with residents and elected officials to honor longtime community member Dorothy Martin Long and celebrate Women’s History Month at the Connolly Center.

Named after Dorothy Martin Long, the luncheon celebrated the visions, voices and impact of women as part of the City’s celebration of Women’s History Month. Long, who was a lifelong Everett resident, had a significant impact on the Everett community through public service and her passion for volunteering. Her volunteerism included work with organizations, such as the Malden YMCA and Mystic Valley Elder Services, as well as Housing Families, Inc., where she dedicated 16 years tutoring homeless children. For those efforts, she was honored in 2018 at Gillette Stadium as a Patriots Difference Maker. Long served on the Everett School Committee and was elected Commissioner of the Everett Charter Commission, where she led a team effort to rewrite and modernize the City’s constitution. She also served on the City’s Diversity and Equity Task Force and was on the Board of Directors of the Devens School, along with being an Election Warden in the City of Everett.

“I couldn’t think of a better person to honor with the naming of this annual luncheon than Dorothy Martin Long,” said Mayor Carlo DeMaria. “We had many long discussions about different subjects over the years and she was always fair and sensible with her opinions, which were strong and reasonable. She always shared great innovative ideas about ways to improve our community. But most of all, she was a great human being with compassion and empathy for all.”

The City of Everett’s Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Cathy Draine, who served as emcee of the event, was pleased to welcome this year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Vivian Stephens-Hicks, who is the Pastor of Beyond Boundaries Christian Ministries. In addition to her service as a pastoral leader, Dr. Hicks works full-time as Program Manager of the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MBS) Program at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, where she has worked for 32 years. In addition to her role as program manager, she is also an appointed Assistant Professor of Medical Education at Tufts.

In addition to Dr. Stephens-Hicks, speakers at the luncheon included Mayor Carlo DeMaria and members of Long’s family. The event also included performances by Janey David and the Aidan Devin Trio. As the ceremony closed, attendees were invited to enjoy a free meal.

“Thank you all for a wonderful time at such an important event to ensure that Dorothy Martin Long’s legacy will be forever remembered here in Everett,” said Mayor DeMaria. “I’d also like to thank everyone who helped make this event a successful celebration of the achievements and contributions of women to our community.”

All of the upcoming City of Everett events can be found by visiting the events calendar at cityofeverett.com/calendar/category/events/list. You can also follow the official social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) to stay updated: Facebook: /cityofeverettma and /mayorcarlodemaria. Instagram: @cityofeverettma and @mayorcarlodemaria. X: @EverettGov_MA and @Mayor_DeMaria. All are welcome to attend the upcoming events.