Butterflies, poetry, and a lineup of historic firsts—this ceremony put Lynn’s creative spirit front and center.
Sunday night at Lynn Memorial Auditorium was buzzing—residents, families, and city leaders all came together for the 2026 Inaugural Ceremony, and this was anything but a standard swearing-in. The butterfly installation by Raw Art Works youth artists set the tone from the moment attendees walked in. Transformation wasn’t just a theme; it was woven into every part of the evening.
Council President: Constantino “Coco” Alinsug (Ward 3)
The Creative Sector Takes Center Stage
Where some inaugurations treat arts and culture as pleasant additions, Lynn put them at the center. The All-City Band kicked things off with “Salute to America,” Iskwelahang Pilipino of Boston made history as the first Filipino dance group to perform at a Lynn civic event, and ITM Dance Group—fresh off their World of Dance championship win—brought the house down.
The emotional anchor of the evening was Michelle “La Poetica” Richardson, Lynn’s first-ever Poet Laureate. This program represents a full year of intentional creative ecosystem building—initiated by Councilor Nicole McClain, championed by Mayor Nicholson and Council President Walsh, shaped by Arts and Culture Planner LaCrecia Thomson and a dedicated committee, and launched with support from Creative Collective.
Richardson made every second count. Standing before the butterfly-adorned stage, she invited the entire auditorium to hum together—a communal frequency—before delivering a poem about change, migration, and collective power: “The goal can no longer be to just get by. Transform to thrive. Rise to stand and then fly.”
Those butterflies weren’t just decoration. As Mayor Jared Nicholson would explain later, they symbolize both transformation and the beauty of human migration—a pointed choice for a city where, as he noted, “hardworking immigrants like most of us founded this city.”
A Council That Looks Like Its City
The diversity on stage wasn’t symbolic—it was historic. Constantino “Coco” Alinsug began the evening as emcee and Ward 3 Councilor. By the end, his colleagues had unanimously elected him Council President—the first Filipino American to hold that position in New England.
Alinsug’s story is Lynn’s story. He arrived in the United States nearly three decades ago with $200 in his pocket, pieced together low-paying jobs, and built a life. “Who would have thought that this kid from Cebu, Philippines, is now a city councilor of this great city?” he asked the audience. His answer was already on the stage around him.
The 2026 Lynn City Council includes an unprecedented collection of firsts: Obed Matul as Lynn’s first Latino city councilor, Natasha Megie-Maddrey as the first Afro Latina councilor, Nicole McClain as the first Black woman councilor, and Hong Net—now the dean of the council with over a decade of service—as the first Asian councilor in the city’s history. Jordan Avery, the council’s youngest member, was sworn in alongside colleagues who remembered meeting him when he was eight years old.
“I will be a president committed to collaboration and teamwork,” Alinsug told his colleagues. “I will be transparent, equitable, and honest. I will not sugarcoat things.”
Frederick “Fred” Hogan was elected Vice President, and Dr. Peter Meaney was named representative to the Lynn Water and Sewer Commission—both by unanimous votes.
Mayor Nicholson’s Second Term: Transformation as Track Record
Councilor Nicole McClain and Husband James McClain – Photo by @seaforth.media
Mayor Jared Nicholson, beginning his second term as Lynn’s 59th mayor, used his inaugural address to reframe transformation from aspiration to evidence. His speech was structured around questions Lynn has answered with “yes” over the past four years: over 1,000 new affordable housing units, new schools including Pickering Middle School and Frederick Douglass Collegiate Academy, real progress on gang violence reduction through community engagement, and exit from state financial oversight after decades of fiscal instability.
The questions that remain, he acknowledged, are substantial: waterfront development, downtown revitalization, police recruitment, and major infrastructure projects including the rehabilitation of the Fayette Street fire station and reconstruction of Western Avenue, Essex Street, and the Lynnway.
But Nicholson’s most pointed remarks addressed the current national climate directly: “This year, we ask, can a city stand up for immigrants and diversity, equity, and inclusion and still accomplish what it needs to for our residents? And together, we have answered yes.”
He continued: “The federal government has intentionally inflicted pain and fear on our neighbors and this community, but it has not broken our commitment to remain open and welcoming.”
What Was Shown, Not Just Said
The inauguration’s power came from its integration. The butterfly installation created by Raw Art Works youth artists became the visual metaphor the mayor built his entire speech around. The poet laureate program—a civic initiative that connected government, cultural organizations, and community funding—was embodied by Michelle Richardson performing original work about collective transformation. The diversity of the council wasn’t mentioned as an achievement; it was simply visible, present, sworn in.
When Alinsug opened nominations for council president and his colleagues voted unanimously for him, it wasn’t treated as exceptional. It was treated as earned. That’s what institutional change looks like when it’s actually happening.
The evening closed with the auditorium singing “This Land Is Your Land” together—a song about belonging, written by a man who understood that the question of who gets to belong is never fully settled.
Lynn City Council 2026
Council President: Constantino “Coco” Alinsug (Ward 3)
Vice President: Frederick W. Hogan (Ward 6)
Councillors-At-Large: Brian M. Field, Brian P. LaPierre, Nicole D. McClain, Hong L. Net
Ward Councillors:
- Ward 1: Dr. Peter D. Meaney
- Ward 2: Obed A. Matul
- Ward 3: Constantino “Coco” Alinsug (Council President)
- Ward 4: Natasha S. Megie-Maddrey, Esq.
- Ward 5: Cardeliz Paez
- Ward 6: Frederick W. Hogan (Vice President)
- Ward 7: Jordan T. Avery
School Committee 2026
Chair: Mayor Jared C. Nicholson
Vice Chair: Lorraine M. Gately
Members: Brian K. Castellanos, Lennin “Lenny” Peña, Andrea L. Satterwhite, Brenda Ortiz McGrath, Tristan J. Smith
Creative Collective was proud to support the establishment of Lynn’s Poet Laureate program with a gift funding the first-year stipend. Michelle “La Poetica” Richardson and Nicole McClain are both Creative Collective members. Learn more about our work supporting Essex County’s creative economy at creativecollectivema.com/membership.
Lynn 2026 Inauguration | Mayor Jared Nicholson | Council President Coco Alinsug | Michelle La Poetica Richardson | Raw Art Works | Essex County
