WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Randal Fippinger has announced his candidacy to run for a seat on the Select Board in the annual town election.

 

Fippinger has "a track record of building community partnerships, all grounded in deep, respectful outreach and relationship building and an abiding belief that all voices deserve a space," according to a news release from his campaign last week.

 

He said he is running to extend the ongoing initiatives of the town's Diversity, Inclusion, and Racial Equity Committee to his potential role as a representative of Williamstown residents on the Select Board, working in partnership with the police chief for supportive police reform and with community members to find affordable and accessible housing solutions, among the many other pressing issues facing Williamstown.

 

"For me, there is a time to protest and there is a time to govern," Fippinger said. "I joined fellow community members in protest at the Williamstown Police station in 2020 and was a dedicated member of Williamstown's Racial Justice Police Reform activist group. We helped galvanize a community conversation around 21st century policing and the need for more transparency between the town and its citizens. However, it is difficult to govern from the picket line. Important systemic change happens by building coalitions of engaged citizens. I want to continue to be part of that coalition building in support of progressive and inclusive community change."

 

Fippinger is the current chair of the DIRE Committee, on which he has served since August 2021. In this role, he says he is able to build upon his dedication to a wide range of community engagement work; he has served as a member of the recent Strengthening Police and Community Partnerships Committee, a program hosted by the Department of Justice and the Williamstown Police Department, and on the Board of Directors of the Roots Teen Center (2019-21).

 

With many years of behind-the-scenes facilitation at the '62 Center at Williams College, Fippinger brings his supporting-role mentality to the many partnerships he has fostered: with Williams' Davis Center to help create Williamstown's 2019 and 2020 Indigenous Peoples' Day exhibits at Field Park; with the Williams College Museum of Art to wrap the '62 Center for Theatre and Dance with images celebrating essential workers during COVID; with Brayton Elementary School to create a program that validates and empowers students and their families through dance; with Mount Greylock Regional School and the Center for Learning in Action for the last 10 years to bring world-class artists into the classrooms; with Williamstown Elementary School's Words Are Wonderful program to provide a performance space for schoolwide participation; and with Williams' Dining Services to celebrate its vital work by producing an original piece created and performed by food service professionals.

 

A common vision and guiding principle Fippinger says he brings to these initiatives and projects is his enthusiasm and ability to always ask, "What can I do to help?" 

 

Fippinger has lived in Williamstown since 2007. His wife and partner, Sarah McNair, is an occupational therapist working in Pittsfield. Together, they have three teen boys who have attended three North County public high schools: McCann Technical School, BArT Charter, and Mount Greylock.

 

At the '62 Center for Theater and Dance, Fippinger is the visiting artist producer and outreach manager. Prior to calling Williamstown home, he lived in Washington, D.C., and New York City, working for some of the country's leading arts organizations including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, American Ballet Theatre, Manhattan Theater Club, and the José Limón Dance Foundation.

 

"I studied performing arts curation, but years earlier received a practical education in finance developing trading floor infrastructure for Goldman Sachs," Fippinger said.

 

Fippinger worked at Goldman Sachs from 1997 to 2000, in both New York and London, where he rose to the level of vice president. When not busy parenting or working, he loves to run, cycle, read, and enjoy the beauty and culture of the Berkshires. Fippinger looks forward to many conversations with members of the diverse community and welcomes comments at fipp4selectboard@gmail.comfipp4selectboard@gmail.com.

 

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