Spokesman for a town - Profile of Jeremy Solomon

By Kimberly Reiss

NEWTON--Swinging in his rotating chair, Jeremy Solomon’s low voice resonates while on the phone with a reporter. As he answers questions about the building of the new Newton North High School, the spokesman for Mayor David Cohen rustles through the papers on his desk looking for data he needs.

“I am fortunate enough to have been able to be in positions of glamour, but I find that I am happier in more low key positions.” Solomon said.

Born in Newton, in 1970, Solomon attended Newton North High School before receiving a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Vermont. After graduation he worked for a non-profit organization based in South Carolina, City Year. He spent a year in South Carolina before taking a job on Bill Clinton’s advance team. 

“The advance team showed me an interesting side of politics that doesn’t get a lot of scrutiny and is very important to a campaign.” Solomon said. His job for three years on the team was to help do the groundwork logistics before the president or first lady traveled. Following the advance team Solomon worked for two cabinet secretaries in Washington until moving back home to get a master’s degree in public policy at Harvard. He accepted the job in Newton as spokesman for the mayor in 2004. 

“Jeremy is a person who is more involved with the press and press relations than the rest of the city staff,” said Mike Kruse, director of planning and development in the mayor’s office.

As the mayor’s spokesman, Solomon deals with the press and all communications with media outlets including the local papers and the Boston Globe. He writes the mayor’s major speeches and helps coordinate the weekly press conferences. He is the first spokesman in Newton history. “The reason for this,” Solomon said, “is having someone like me handle the press gives the mayor more time to focus on the important issues,” he said. 

“Jeremy’s work for the mayor really articulates what the mayor’s goals are for the city,” said Linda Plout, director of cultural affairs in the mayor’s office.  “And because he is so clear and articulate he is a very effective representative.

With calls coming in daily to ask about the plans for the new $150 million dollar Newton North High School project, he fields all the questions. Most of Newton’s issues are money related, such as rising taxes, propositional overrides, or even just soaring house prices. In fact Newton has become such an expensive city to live in that Solomon cannot even afford the town he grew up in.  “My family and I moved to West Roxbury, prices in Newton are just too insane,” he said.   

Solomon’s job is also to help maintain the image of the mayor and the city’s government.  “Media tends to be skeptical of government, and usually gives more coverage to negative items then to the positive. It’s difficult to deal with, but you got to keep working at it,” Solomon said.   

Solomon’s sister Lara describes him as, “the quiet glue that holds his family and friends together.”

Solomon’s most important role, he says is as a husband to wife Michelle, and father to their two young sons, Jacob and Maxwell. His family is the reason he has no political aspirations. “I’ve seen how much time a campaign takes away from home life, and I’m not willing to sacrifice that,” he said.