Council, School Committee Select Jannino-Elam to Regional School Committee

Melissa Jannino Elam will succeed her father, the late Ronald Jannino, as Revere’s representative on the Northeast Regional Vocational School Committee.

Mr. Jannino served with distinction for 35 years on the Committee before his passing on June 20, 2020. He was usually one of the top vote-getters in the Northeast school district, a tribute to his popularity and his dedication to his job.

 Under the Northeast Regional Vocational School Committee’s rules on succession, the local boards select the new representative to the Committee. The Revere School Committee and City Council held a joint meeting July 27 and unanimously selected Elam to the position.

“I just want to thank you all – Mayor Arrigo, the City Council, the School Committee – for giving me this opportunity today,” Elam said following the vote. “I really appreciate being able to complete the term that my father left sadly and suddenly vacant. I have cherished watching him for the last 35 years shape and advance the technical education in the city. And I hope that in the next three months that I can do half as much as he has for the City of Revere and  Northeast Voke and I appreciate it.”

Elam, 45, said she has watched her father serve on the Committee “practically my whole life. – and I’m very proud of his record.”

Revere has the second highest number of students enrolled at Northeast among the 12 communities in the district. Mr. Jannino paved the way for many Revere students to attend the school. Graduates have gone on to enjoy successful careers in various trades or to attend college.

Elam works for a food service distributor. “I work with a lot of chefs, so I work with people who come from vocational education backgrounds,” she said.

A 1993 Revere High graduate, Elam was the cheerleading director and an officer in the Revere Pop Warner football and cheerleading organization. Her husband, Craig, served as president of Revere Pop Warner and was a football coach. The Elams’ two children, Catherine and Jack, both participated in the cheerleading and football divisions respectively. Catherine is a senior at Coastal Carolina University. Jack is a student at UMass/Dartmouth.

Mr. Jannino’s term was to end in January. Melissa Elam said she will be a candidate in the election in November for the position.

“My father has always talked about that I would continue his vision, that he’s always wanted me to have that opportunity to continue what he had started,” said Elam.” Obviously, I did not want it to happen this way. It was sudden. It was always more intended that he would have been retiring but I’m glad to be finishing off the term that he had, at a minimum.”

City Council President Patrick Keefe worked with Elam in the Revere Junior Patriot Pop Warner organization.

“Melissa has been a dedicated volunteer in our community for many years, raising two great children and serving on the Revere Pop Warner board as vice president and in many other roles,” lauded Keefe.

The Council leader feels that in her new position on the Regional School Committee Elam will be able to continue the family’s legacy of outstanding service to Revere.

“Melissa’s father, Ron, served as Revere’s representative on the Northeast Regional School Committee for 35 years and for Melissa to serve out her father’s term is a testimonial to what her father meant to our community for so many years,” said Keefe. “I look forward to Melissa to being on the Committee while serving the residents of Revere – I know she will represent us well.”

Councillor-at-Large Steven Morabito said Elam will do well in her new position and there is a symbolic symmetry involved in the succession process.

“I think Melissa succeeding her father on the Committee is a nice sentiment and I think she’ll do a good job because she’s following in her dad’s footsteps and she knows how her dad would handle votes on the School Board because she knows her dad best,” said Morabito.