Maria Elyse Barrett Mihajloski » Directory

Candidate Statement

My name is Maria Elyse Barrett Mihajloski,  Those who know me know me as Elyse, and I am running for a seat on the Hopkinton Planning Board. I am a hard worker, problem solver, and have a history of involvement with the town and volunteer groups in town. As our town continues to grow and change, I believe our board and committee members need to reflect that too.

My husband Todor and I have lived in Hopkinton for 4 years. We live in Downtown Hopkinton with our two children, a 4-year-old son, and a 2-year-old daughter.  We very much enjoy the trails and parks around town.  We would love to see more thoughtful well-planned growth in the downtown area and are anxiously excited for the corridor project to finish!

I graduated from University of Miami in Psychology and Neuroscience.  Before having children, I worked at the University of Miami Hospital doing research in Psychiatry and Biochemistry.  I am currently a stay-at-home mom with my two children and am very involved in different volunteer groups and committees around town.   I am currently on the Zoning Advisory Committee (ZAC), and I serve as a board member for both eHop and the Hopkinton Moms Group.

I believe it is important to have a planning board member who has a slightly different view about the town. As a parent of young children, I can bring this valuable perspective and complement the knowledge and skill sets of the current board members.

I believe my skills of research, critical thinking, problem solving skills and knowledge of various groups in town is a great compliment to the other board members. Being a member of eHop I try to stay up to date on town issues and having served on ZAC I feel I have an adequate background of town bylaws, and how committees are run in town.