I've known Jeff Thielman in various capacities since I met him on his first run for School Committee. I wasn't very involved in politics back then — I went to his kickoff where I saw him for the first time, and I was shocked when he called me up when I got home to see if he had answered my questions satisfactorily. He stayed on the phone until he was sure I was a supporter.

More recently, I've been working with Jeff to produce a monthly cable show called the Public Square. It's a lot of work. We bat around ideas that would be interesting to the community, make connections, and Joanne Morreale edits the show together each month. What Jeff does for the show is typical of how he deals with most things. He starts by talking to people about topics that would be interesting to them. When we identify a topic, he makes the cold calls necessary to line up “experts.” He pushes us to set a time for a shoot. He rounds up a crew. He looks at the footage and distills important messages. Then he gently prods us to get it done. He knows when we've achieved something we can be proud of. Not perfection, but excellence.

It is these same qualities that make Jeff so effective in everything he tackles. He's practical and tenacious. He's clear-headed and insightful. He's got the confidence to talk to his friends and his detractors. He can be a pain in the butt — but best of all, he brings out the best in us; he works with us to get the job done.

That's why I'm happy to support Jeff Thielman once again in his run for School Committee. Check out his Web site at www.jeffthielman.com, and while you're online, you can see the Public Square shows online at www.publicsquaretv.com.