Christopher Pitts - President

When I first helped bring this council into existence, one of my goals was to begin serious future planning for Waban. The Future Planning Working Group held meetings and events for three years culminating in the survey published on this website and shared with the city. I am a firm believer that no matter the issue, having good intel and planning is far better than reacting, or is often the case, having no plan at all. The participation of educated, passionate, and curious Wabanites with various expertises was profoundly informative and rewarding. Click here to visit the Waban Future Plan.

I have been involved with all the 4 Area Councils debates and produced videos for each of the events - except when I was a candidate for City Council in 2016. I served as VP then President 2019-2021, and again President in 2024.

My goals this year:

Better communications: WAC website, Google list, facebook, Waban Next Door, printed mailings, coordinating with WIS/WLC, campaign to get every Waban resident on our email list
Informational forums and surveys
fundrasing for the WAC as it gets no funds from the city

Learning Plan 2023-24:

Arts in the Community
Landmarking and Historic preservation
Open space, green space, fresh waterfront
Zoning and interdependencies

I moved to Waban with my wife and 2 preschoolers in early 2001, and have been active in the community ever since.

My first community involvement was to launch the effort to build a newer, safer playground at Warren Lincoln field. A group of neighbors got together and raised $52,000, and over 50 volunteers showed up to build the popular structures that exist today. As a result of that experience fueled my love of this community, I joined the Waban Improvement Society board and currently serve as President.

I've been an active Waban Improvement Society (WIS) board member for over 15 years, and devoted my energies to: 1) conceptualizing and contributing to Waban Village Day; 2) advocating to keep the branch library open; and 3) creating and maintaining the WIS web site, launching the Annual Newton Piano Summit, among other things.

I joined the committee to create the Waban Area Council (WAC) in 2013, and along with the "original team of six" worked with the city and the other neighborhood councils, established a vision, and hit the pavement to gain the 1000 signatures needed to get the names on the ballot. I created and maintain the WAC web site, and maintain the WAC Facebook page. I look forward to continue the social media outreach and to continue to represent our concerns to the city -- whether the issues are related to zoning, housing, parking meters, traffic, etc. -- and to prod the city to take effective action. I would like to see Waban contine to be the wonderful and culturally rich place that John Staples started and William and Mary Strong nurtured into a village over 100 years ago.

I am am also very much involved with culture in Newton and served as the co-chair of the Newton Cultural Council and took over chair of the Festival of the Arts from the late Linda Plaut.

My professional skills as a producer of video, online learning, concerts, and fundraisers, as well as my skills as a performing artist and webmaster offer a good balance to the other members of the council. I basically have 1 and half of the 3Ws needed for board members.

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