Mission Hill liaison Maccon Bonner, who also serves the neighborhoods of Fenway-Kenmore, Mission Hill, Beacon Hill and Back Bay, spoke with The Huntington News in a virtual meeting Jan. 23 to discuss his experiences in the role and his goals to impress positive change in the community.
Bonner works under Mayor Michelle Wu in the Office of Neighborhood Services, or ONS, to facilitate local government matters and connect neighborhood residents to city departments.
In the interview, Bonner, a Mission Hill resident, described his personal experiences and how they’ve influenced his approach to the role of neighborhood liaison. He discussed various aspects of his position, including building trust with the neighborhood, addressing community concerns and engaging directly with constituents. He shared his passion for Mission Hill’s local amenities and small businesses and his commitment to supporting and listening to residents, now and in the future.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Huntington News: How have your experiences prepared you for the responsibilities of this role?
Bonner: I started this role in April of last year, almost a year ago. Before that, I was at Suffolk University as an undergrad studying media and film and political science. Before that, I was working at a hospital in my local town and that was my first introduction to talking to people, learning their stories. I carried that with me to college, both in my efforts making films and documentaries and on the other side of things, working as an intern at Boston City Council for a year in 2023. That introduced me to Mission Hill and the other neighborhoods that I work with and the folks who live in them, their stories, what they want to get done in the city, their issues and concerns and how city government works. That was what propelled me to act on these things, getting the big things done by doing the small things right. That’s one of the mayor’s main principles that every ONS liaison works to achieve. By being able to have the privilege to know these folks in Mission Hill and other neighborhoods for such a long time, we can really get things done and bring City Hall to them.
HN: You’ve been a liaison for a fair amount of time. Looking back on this past year or so, are there any changes you’ve made that stick out to you as something you’re proud of?
Bonner: Something that’s changed here is trust. I’ve worked with folks in the community about getting things done and listening to concerns and bringing up honesty and effectiveness, and that has built trust with the folks that I deal with every day. And [part of that] is being available. It’s not just over an email or over a phone call, but coming out to see [constituents]. Doing a walkthrough, for example — a road walkthrough, which I’m planning to do this summer in Mission Hill — and getting down to nitty-gritty aspects of issues and hashing through them. It’s a privilege and pleasure that I’m able to do that and that definitely is a key contributor to building the efforts that I’m doing here.
HN: You mentioned that walkthrough this summer. Are there any other plans that you have in the near future or in the long term that we should be looking out for?
Bonner: I would propose that, to the readers, you reach out to me in an email or come to one of my coffee hours for plans. I have one in Mission Hill on the first Friday of every month at Mike’s Donuts, which was a 2024 Legacy Business Award winner this year. Maria [Weinograd], who runs it, is wonderful. If you come and talk to me, like if you have an idea for the neighborhood or if there’s an issue of concern that we need to address, that’s something that I can put into motion and we can tackle together. Most plans that I have are constituent-driven.
HN: You’ve mentioned a few ways you stay in touch with your constituents. Could you elaborate on that and how, specifically, can people stay in touch with you?
Bonner: Of course. There’s my email, that’s one of the ways to contact me. I have a newsletter that comes out twice a week. You can sign up online. Also, Tuesdays and Fridays are ONS field days where we’re out in the community, meeting with constituents, meeting small business owners, meeting with institutions, meeting with stakeholders. We talk about the public works that they’re working on, or parks if they’re working on a park. We try to ask, how can I help? How can I assist? The goal is to get City Hall out of City Hall — that’s another one of Mayor Wu’s guiding principles. On Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, I’m in City Hall talking with different departments or in my office in room 805, if you want to come talk to me in person. But Tuesdays and Fridays, I’m with the residents. I’m with the folks. I feel like that model works very well, always being available. It’s not that difficult to schedule things when there’s that much availability and I think that’s an amazing strong point of both the [mayor’s] administration and this office.
HN: In the past, you’ve talked about your love of cycling and passion for transportation. In your conversations with these constituents, are there any topics that come up frequently? Things that you’re passionate about, or that seem to be what constituents are passionate about?
Bonner: I’d say city services. Things like roads, sidewalks, ways to pick up trash, inspectional services which run building licensing, zoning, licensing. We pride ourselves on the belief that our city services reflect what residents are interested in having. That’s something that’s vital because residents and constituents, they’ll come to me and say, “Hey, I put it in this 311 case,” which I recommend everyone use. 311 is the best, fastest way to report something to the city for the city to fix. For example, if there’s a broken sidewalk that needs to be patched so no one trips or falls, put that in a 311 [report] with a picture and a team will go out and address the issue. But folks bringing up these things to us, getting the big things done by doing the small things right, has an influence on us to improve city services where improvement is needed. That has built this wonderful cycle where we are constantly improving our systems.
HN: You’re a Mission Hill resident. What drew you to that neighborhood? Is there anything you love about Mission Hill that you want people to know about?
Bonner: It might sound backwards, but the hill is actually one of my favorite parts. You’ve got to walk up it every day. You gotta walk down it every day. But the hill provides the sense where you go down the hill and there’s this beautiful main street where we have a thriving small-business community that has been built up by residents coming together with businesses and supporting each other. Post-COVID-19 has been a major influence in making sure that we cherish these vital assets in the neighborhood. And then there’s our parks. Last year, Mayor Michelle Wu made Kevin W. Fitzgerald Park a level one arboretum, which now allows for funding and work to be done to protect and improve the ecology of the park. I actually recently bought honey from bees who live in that park, so it’s Mission Hill honey. It’s very good. But the other parks too, like McLaughlin Playground, I live on Calumet [Street] and being able to walk up there out of my backyard is a huge asset. We play soccer, walk the dog if you have a dog, play all different types of games. So it’s the parks and the community and the small businesses, all in one. It’s a perfect balance. That’s why I love living on Mission Hill and why I love working on behalf of the residents.
HN: In a few words, what’s your mission going forward?
Bonner: Embrace the possibilities. Embrace the possibilities of what we can get done, what we can work together on and tackle. That includes long-standing issues, things that people have been chipping away at for the past couple years, maybe even for a decade or two. Let’s get things done. Let’s improve on what people have done in the past and uplift even further those efforts. That’s first and foremost my goal and the reason why I do this job every day. It’s hard work sometimes, but it’s rewarding for everyone involved. It’s why this job is 24/7, why I’m available at all times. So that’s one of my goals, probably my main goal going forward.
