About Setti
Setti Warren is a native of Newton and committed public servant. He has the leadership experience we need to move Newton forward in these difficult and challenging times. Setti is committed to bringing people together and making the tough decisions necessary to put our city on firm fiscal footing and restore confidence in our future.
Roots in Our Community
Setti Warren was born and raised in Newton where he attended Bigelow Junior High and Newton North High School. He first became involved in public service when, as a freshman in high school, he was elected class president – a post he held for four years. As a sophomore at Boston College, Setti became only the second African American to be elected student body president in the college’s history.
As a junior at Newton North, Setti was asked by Mayor Ted Mann to bring racial and ethnic harmony to the school after a clash between rival groups. In 1997, Setti was awarded the Human Rights Award and subsequently had December 17 declared “Setti Warren Day” by Newton Mayor Thomas Concannon in recognition of his outstanding work as Vice-Chair of the City of Newton's Foundation for Ethnic, Racial, and Religious Equality.
Setti was a founding member of Newton’s Community Preservation Committee in 2002 and served as its spokesperson. During his tenure, more than $9.3 million in state funding was used to build affordable housing and preserve open spaces like Christina Street and Angino Community Farm. Additionally, he served on the Newton Economic Development Commission.
Setti and his wife Tassy currently live in the house where Setti grew up and look forward to raising a family here. Their daughter, Abigail, was born on June 10, 2008.
A Commitment to Public Service
Setti’s family taught him the value of making a difference in one’s community and public service has been at the core of Setti’s career.
After graduating from college, Setti worked as vice president of his family’s consulting firm, where he was responsible for designing and implementing the national award-winning high school internship program at the Central Artery/Tunnel Program in Boston.
Setti went on to the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs for President Clinton and worked with the offices of the Attorney General, the Department of Treasury, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Small Business Administration. In this capacity, he repeatedly worked across organization lines, bringing diverse groups together to accomplish President Clinton’s agenda.
In 1999, Setti was named New England Director of FEMA under President Clinton. In this capacity he managed a large staff and worked closely with local mayors, members of Congress and governors to administer vital FEMA programs and deliver resources to cities and towns throughout New England. Setti knows what it takes, at times of crisis, to answer the call and deliver essential services to those who require them.
Most recently, Setti worked as Deputy State Director for Senator John Kerry. In this role, he was the Senator’s point person on small business and economic development. Setti understands what it takes to bring smart growth to a community; growth that preserves the character of a community while contributing to its economic vitality.
Setti recently returned from a yearlong deployment to Iraq where he served as a Navy Intelligence Specialist in the Navy Reserve.
Leadership for Newton
Setti is running for Mayor because he knows Newton residents have lost confidence in local government. Important decisions have been getting bogged down, and the tone and tenor of our discourse has become poisoned. And while the community was divided, the cost of Newton North skyrocketed, the renovation of Newton Center was neglected, and elementary schools, roads and municipal buildings crumbled.
Setti knows that we can move Newton forward again. He believes we can have the best school system in the state – nothing short of a model of excellence for 21st century learning. He believes we can have a city that runs effectively and efficiently, that plans for the long term and embraces innovation wherever it can make us better. And finally, he believes that we can, and we WILL have a local government that is transparent and accountable and a Mayor who is open, flexible, and willing to make the tough calls to address our community’s challenges.
