NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — This year's candidate field for mayor has pointed to the likelihood of a woman taking the corner office for the first time in the city's history. 

 

That probability has increased with the entrance of Jennifer Macksey in the crowded race for chief executive. 

 

Macksey is a former city treasurer and currently assistant superintendent of operations and finance for the Northern Berkshire School Union.

 

She becomes one of four women running for the office — the others are Lynette Ritland Bond, Rachel Branch and Aprilyn Carsno — and Joshua Paul Vallieres, a Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts student who was the first to take out papers. 

 

The number of candidates means there will be a preliminary election in September to narrow the field to two for the general election in November. Macksey, whose candidacy has been anticipated for several weeks, and Bond are widely considered the frontrunners. 

 

Macksey was treasurer for the city from 2000 to 2008 and its director of finance/procurement officer for five years before that. She then did a stint as director of student accounts at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and taught several courses. She holds bachelors of science in both accounting and business administration and a master of science in higher educational administration.

 

She was vice president of administration and finance at the now defunct Southern Vermont College in Bennington and joined the NBSU in 2019. 

 

So far 17 people have taken out papers for the nine at-large seats on the City Council, including incumbents Lisa Blackmer, Keith Bona, Marie T. Harpin, Peter Oleskiewicz, Jessica Sweeney and Wayne Wilkinson, and the newest councilor, Bryan K. Sapienza, who was recently sworn in to fill a vacant seat. 

 

The others are Jennifer Barbeau, Roger Eurbin, Raymond A. Moore, Barbara Ellen Murray, Michael I. Obasohan, Jesse Lee Egan Poirier, Ashley M. Shade, Heidi Shartrand-Newell and Ronald Sheldon, with the latest to take out papers being Joseph Smith. 

 

The last day to submit nomination papers for certification of signatures is July 23. If there are more than 18 City Council candidates, those offices will be on the ballot with the mayor in the preliminary election to be held on Sept. 21.