Draft:Ruthanne Fuller

Ruthanne Fuller (born December 10, 1957) is an American politician, currently serving as mayor of Newton, Massachusetts. She is the 31st mayor and the first woman elected to be mayor of the city of Newton.

Early life and education
Ruthanne Fuller was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1957 to Alan and Marianne Schwartz. Alan was a founding partner of Honigman Law Firm, a philanthropist, and a Detroit civic leader. Marianne was a leader in numerous cultural and nonprofit organizations throughout greater Detroit, most significantly, including serving on the Board of Directors of the Detroit Institute of Arts for over 30 years.

Fuller was raised with her two brothers, Marc and Kurt. She studied history at Brown University, graduating magna cum laude in 1979. In 1983, she earned her master's in business administration from Harvard Business School and graduated with distinction.

Early career
After graduating from Brown, Fuller worked full-time as the manager of education for the economic forecasting company Data Resources Inc. (DRI). She then returned to school to earn her MBA before joining Temple, Barker and Sloane where she worked for four years as a management consultant. While there, she specialized in financial analysis, strategic planning, and organizational design.

From 1989 to 1997, Fuller served as the manager of strategic planning at WGBH-FM. She created the first ever strategic master plan for a leading public broadcasting station, putting together a comprehensive strategy for WGBH at large and individual sectors including television, radio, and production.

Volunteer and civic engagement
Fuller volunteered for her local community, serving as the chair of Brookline's School Financial Practices and Procedures Committee. Upon moving to Newton in 1994, she joined the Chestnut Hill Association—where she later became President —and worked with local residents to advocate for a series of conservation and preservation efforts. From 2011 to 2013, Fuller served on a committee of the Pension Reserves Investment Management Board. Fuller was also vice-chair of the City of Newton Citizen Advisory Group from 2008 to 2009.

City council
In 2010, Fuller was elected as an at-large member of the then Newton Board of Alderman from ward 7 (which later became known as an at-large city councilor). As a member of the Board of Aldermen/City Council, she served as vice chair of the finance committee and chair of the financial audit advisory committee.

Mayor of Newton
In 2016, Mayor Setti Warren announced he would not seek a third term as mayor. Soon after, Fuller announced her candidacy for mayor. A close race between Fuller and City Council President Scott Lennon ensued. She was elected with 50.7% of the vote and was sworn into office on January 1, 2018. In 2021, Fuller was elected to a second term.

During Fuller's first term, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. She inspired the creation of the Newton COVID-19 Care Fund, which was instituted to ease the financial burdens of Newton residents created during the pandemic. The fund distributed over $700,000 to more than 300 recipients.

The city's first Climate Action Plan for the City of Newton was developed by the Fuller Administration working with Newton residents. The plan outlines the necessary steps to achieve carbon neutrality in Newton by 2050. Most significantly, it advocates for the expansion of clean and renewable energy, greener transportation, energy use reduction in construction, increased energy efficiency, and more thoughtful consumption and disposal. In the Fuller Administration, Newton Power Choice was created, automatically providing Newtonians with 80% renewable energy, while giving them the choice to opt up to 100% or down to the state mandated 18%.

The city during the Fuller Administration has embarked on an ambitious campaign to update and rebuild aging school facilities. The Newton Early Childhood Program now has a permanent new home, three new schools will be built at Lincoln-Eliot Elementary School, Franklin Elementary School, and Countryside Elementary School, and major renovations and an addition will be built at Horace Mann Elementary School. The Countryside School was accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority project pipeline and 40% of the project will be funded through the partnership.

In December 2024, the city updated village center zoning stemming from a new state law. The new zoning passed by the city council will allow affordable and market rate housing mixed in with retail and restaurants to be built "by right" in many of Newton's village centers. The City of Newton is also moving away from fossil fuel in new construction, working to embed electrification requirements in these new developments.

Personal life
Fuller is married to Joseph B. Fuller, a professor of management at Harvard Business School.