Meet the Mayor

Mayor Melinda E. Barrett is a 3rd generation Haverhill resident, and she proudly serves the City of Haverhill as the first woman mayor in the city’s 300-year history. Prior to her election as mayor, she served on the Haverhill City Council for 10 years, becoming the first woman City Council president in 2020.

Barrett credits her family for encouraging her love for Haverhill, people, and politics. She attended Haverhill public schools and received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After college, she returned home to help run the family business Barrett’s Menswear, founded in 1917 in downtown Haverhill. Barrett successfully opened and operated her own store Barrett’s Specialty Foods for 23 years until its closing in 2018, marking over 100 years of her family doing business in Haverhill.

Her small business and City Council experience, combined with her deep roots in the city, make her uniquely qualified to lead Haverhill. As Mayor, Barrett prioritizes collaboration and making Haverhill one of the best cities in the Commonwealth to live, work, and visit.