Hi, I’m Will Stewart

I’m a former three-term alderman in Manchester, NH. I help those serving in local office become more effective leaders so they can tackle the toughest issues facing our communities.

I’ve been there

Serving as an elected official is no easy task. As someone who served three terms as a local elected official, I have walked the path you’re walking now. I’ve answered those calls, emails, and texts from unhappy constituents. I’ve endured those late night meetings that go way too long. And I’ve done it while working full time and having a family. 

But for all of the challenges and sacrifices that come with public service and putting yourself out there, I know that serving your neighbors is incredibly rewarding. I also know just how important it is to have good people serving in local office, and serving well.

But again, it’s not easy. And even in the best of times there’s a learning curve, and these are not the best of times.

The struggle

My first year in office was a little stressful, to say the least, but it wasn’t due to anything going on at City Hall. When I first took office I was only a few months into a new job as the executive director of a statewide nonprofit organization. On top of that I was going through a divorce and adjusting to being a single parent. Not exactly a dream scenario for someone stepping into elected office for the first time.

The solutions

Pretty quickly I realized that I was going to have to be very intentional if I wanted to be successful in my personal, professional, and public roles. So through trial and error in the years since I created systems and found tools that helped me both serve those who are counting on me and be able to have some semblance of a balanced life.

It is these systems, strategies, tools, and resources that I share via Elected Impact for the benefit of those serving in local elected office, and by extension those we serve.

What I share

I write about four main topics to help you be a more effective local leader:

  • Communication – In public service, as in life, so much comes down to how well  or poorly we communicate. Discover new and not-so-new ways of sharing information with, and receiving information from, constituents, colleagues, and others in the community.
  • Constituent Service – You take care of your constituents, they’ll take care of you. Learn how to best respond to the needs — stated and unstated — facing those you represent and wow them in the process.
  • Work/Life/Service Balance – Put your own oxygen mask on first. Find out how to successfully take care of yourself and those you love so that you can give your best to those you serve.
  • Governing – It’s what the voters elect us to do. Learn how to best work with your fellow elected officials, as well as staff, and community stakeholders to actually get stuff done via partnership and collaboration.

Now, more than ever, when democracy itself seems to be increasingly under attack, we need leaders like you to not only be able to fulfill your civic duty, but to serve at a level of excellence that will help — one ward, one district, one city, one county at a time — to restore our constituents’ faith that government can not just function, but can actually make progress on our communities’ most pressing issues.