I don’t remember the first time I met Betty Poirier; I suspect it was at one of a number of functions organized by the Balfour Company.
Before he was the state representative for North Attleboro, Betty’s husband Kevin worked for my father in the personnel department at Balfour. I specifically recall the night my dad mixed his customary glass of Dewers and water and told my mom that Kevin was running for the seat.
He, of course, won that election and the rest is history.
Kevin held the seat for a couple of decades until he was offered a job too good to pass up and succeeded Mel Gautieri as the development director at Sturdy Memorial Hospital.
The Poirier family were – and still are – considered blue bloods in North Attleboro and Betty won the special election to succeed her husband on Beacon Hill.
More than four decades later, Betty announced that she wouldn’t be seeking reelection in November meaning someone other than a Poirier will be representing North Attleboro, a sliver of Attleboro and parts of Mansfield.
I first heard of her decision a week before she made it public. Betty was in our studio to record an update on the coronavirus pandemic when she told me off-camera of her decision. She asked if she could make the announcement during a recording of her quarterly show, “Inside State Government.” I was understandably honored that she decided to break the news on North TV.
As the first person hired when North TV started producing programs for our three – now four – stations in February 2006, I immediately contacted Betty and other public officials for interviews. In the 14 years since, she has always made herself available whenever we needed to record a program or conduct a short interview.
A few years ago, in an effort to reduce the number of shows we produced in our studio, I approached Betty about recording her show in her Statehouse office.
We set a date for that first show and a member of Betty’s staff called for the make of the car and plate number I would be driving to the recording. I received word the next day that they had arranged special parking for me.
Sure enough, when we pulled up to the gate at the corner of Hancock and Mt. Vernon streets an officer asked for my name, checked it on the list of permitted visitors and opened the gate. We were led to a space mere yards away from Gov. Deval Patrick’s vehicle.
I was the only member of the North TV staff that had been to the Statehouse previously and that was to record a visit by members of the 1998 Attleboro High School state champion basketball team.
The Statehouse is impressive, even more so when walking its halls with the representative for the 14th Bristol district.
I’m not exaggerating when I tell you Betty knew everyone we came across during the personal tour she gave us of the historic building, including a view very few people get to see – Boston Common from the balcony down the hall from the Senate Chamber.
Senators, fellow representatives from both sides of the aisle, members of their staffs, security personnel…she knew everyone by name and would stop to ask about members of their families.
EVERY person we met knew Betty and it was obvious they thought the world of her.
I was excited when we turned a corner and saw Gov. Deval Patrick approaching on his way to a ceremony in Nurses Hall. Although he was obviously late for the event, Patrick stopped when he spotted Betty, who then introduced me.
It’s no secret that Patrick and Betty didn’t always agree on issues, but the respect and civility they showed for each other is one of the reasons why our state leaders are able to accomplish more than the men and women in our nation’s capital.
Betty’s close relationships with allies and adversaries alike are why she has been able to do so much for the people and communities she represents in spite of the fact that her party is dwarfed by Democrats in both chambers.
“I’ve worked very hard to maintain credibility and not do crazy things, so they won’t write me off,” Poirier said about her colleagues from the majority party.
Then there are the people she’s helped through charitable causes such as the Betty’s Angels food collection during the DANA Santa Parade, the “Supply Sacks” program for children in foster care, “Restaurant Day” to support local restaurants and raise funds for Lenore’s Pantry.
Name a charity in this area and Betty has helped them to some degree.
I know of at least two candidates who are pulling papers and expect a half-dozen or more will do so before the deadline. One will win the seat in November, but they’ll never replace Betty.
Click below to view a portion of Betty's appearance on "Inside State Government:"
