Maggie Bergin

Maggie Bergin

Maggie Bergin Age 36: Owner, The Art of Politics

Maggie Bergin is passionate about the future and Holyoke, where she lives and has established her business, The Art of Politics, after serving in Washington, D.C. as the legislative director for the International Economic Development Council.

She was hired for that position after graduating from Smith College with a bachelor’s degree in Government and working for Congressman John W. Olver. The Grand Rapids, Mich. native decided to leave Washington to return to Western Mass., where she felt she could make a great impact working directly with area residents, agencies, and organizations.

“Information is power, and I have valuable information to give people about the political world,” she said. “I know how to move things forward and know where the levers and push points are in the political world.”

She also knows where the money is and how to get it, and is teaching her clients how to navigate political waters and get results. “I love my work and clients. It’s such a pleasure to help them.”

She also loves the urban nature of Holyoke and says it doesn’t take much to make a real difference there.

Bergin serves on the board of directors at Wistariahurst Museum. “It physically sits at an economic crossroads representing different parts of the community and is one of the city’s economic-development resources,” she said.

Bergin also helped create the Friends of Pulaski Park, a group that is working with state and environmental officials to clear the grounds between the park and the Connecticut River to make it as visible as it was during the Victorian era.

She views Wistariahurst and the park as valuable entities in the revitalization of Holyoke.

So, in many ways, Bergin’s passion is for the past, present, and future. “I look forward to helping Holyoke figure out what the next 50 years will look like,” she said.

—Kathy Mitchell