Jeremiah Kemp, a Warren resident, business owner and former firefighter-paramedic, is the newest member of the Warren Select Board. He was appointed on June 16 after a board interview, telling the board that he hopes to deepen his involvement in a community he now considers home.
Kemp submitted a letter of interest to the board and appeared before select board chair Devin Klein Corrigan, vice chair Joel Taplin and board member Harvey Blake to discuss his background and priorities if selected.
In a letter of interest submitted ahead of the meeting, Kemp described himself as a parent, small business owner and longtime resident with a strong connection to Warren.
“My interest in joining the select board stems from a desire to participate more deeply as a part of this community and village that holds us with such warmth,” Kemp wrote.
Kemp said he moved to Warren in 2016 after living in Northfield and has become familiar with both the strengths and challenges facing the town.
“My primary reason is wanting to come in and see if I can help the community and be part of things,” he told the board.
Kemp said he and his partner, Jess, are active in town life and regularly spend time with their 5-year-old son at local parks and the library. Their son attends Warren Elementary School.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Kemp highlighted a background that includes work as a firefighter, paramedic, industrial emergency planner, pilot and farrier.
In his letter, he wrote that he served for 13 years as a commanding officer in fire rescue, participating in safety review and facilities management efforts. He also described previous work as an aircraft ferry pilot and experience helping coordinate emergency response planning and grant writing.
During the interview, Kemp clarified that most of his emergency services career was spent in the Midwest.
“I was a full-time firefighter in Peoria, Illinois, spent a lot of time as a paramedic around St. Louis,” he said.
Kemp said that work often involved coordinating among private organizations, government agencies and emergency responders.
Asked by Taplin how he would balance personal opinions with the responsibility to represent the broader community, Kemp said his professional experience required separating individual views from organizational needs.
“My personal opinion did not really come into play with a lot of that,” Kemp said. “It was larger interests, so I think I’m pretty good at compartmentalizing my own feelings versus what the town needs.”
Board members also asked how he would determine whether town projects are a good use of taxpayer dollars.
Kemp said prior board and supervisory experience taught him to recognize problems early.
“I’ve seen various organizations throw away sometimes hundreds of millions down a drain,” he said. “Having been a part of those things, I think I’m pretty good at starting to notice when things go off the rails.”
LOOKING AHEAD
In his letter, Kemp identified traffic calming, the new town garage and redevelopment of the existing site, road maintenance, fire department funding and airport development as areas where he believes he could contribute.
When asked what qualities matter most in a select board member, Kemp pointed to reliability and communication.
“Punctuality,” he said. “Making sure you show up for the meetings, being open-minded and trying to be that liaison between the community and the organizations they frequently have to work with.”
Kemp also identified growth management as one of Warren’s biggest challenges over the next several years.
“We’re a very small town,” he said. “These problems have been getting larger, and we need more of a plan in place.”
Near the end of the discussion, Kemp acknowledged he was appearing under unusual circumstances after being kicked in the head by a horse while working in his farrier business several days earlier.
Despite recovering from a concussion, Kemp said he wanted to attend and introduce himself.
“Warren is the only one that has ever truly felt like home,” he wrote in his letter. “I would be honored to serve and give back to this community as a part of the select board.”
Warren has had two select board members resign since Town Meeting in March. Former vice chair Camilla Behn resigned last month and newly elected board member Ken Scott retired earlier this spring.
