Dear Friends & Neighbors: A letter from David Biele, candidate for State Rep. Fourth Suffolk District

Dear friends and neighbors:

As election season begins to fill our newly vacant state representative seat, I wanted to take the time to introduce myself and share my family background.

I am a fourth generation South Bostonian and I have lived in City Point all my life.  I am the son of Mark Biele, a construction laborer with Local 223, and Joyce Biele, a clerk.  My younger brother, Christopher, and I grew up like many youth in our neighborhood, playing youth hockey, soccer, and Little League.  I also spent summers learning to sail at the South Boston Yacht Club, and later worked as a sailing instructor at the Harry McDonough Sailing Center down by Castle Island.

For my education, I attended St. Peter’s School from kindergarten through sixth grade.  I was accepted into Boston Latin School and graduated in 2003.  I then attended Boston College where I received a bachelor’s degree in history.  I completed my degree in three years, graduating near the top of my class with honors, and I am the first person in my family to graduate from college.  In 2009, I received my law degree from Boston College Law School and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar.  During law school, I interned in Congressman Stephen F. Lynch’s Boston office. 

After law school, I worked at the Boston College Legal Assistance Bureau, advocating for indigent and elderly clients on housing, disability, and family law matters.  I then entered private practice, focusing on civil litigation and construction litigation, but after three years I decided to change my career and entered public service. 

In 2013, I began working for State Representative Nick Collins as his legislative aide, providing constituent services and drafting legislation in support of our community and neighborhoods.  In that role, I wrote legislation to secure funding to support our local non-profits as part of the state budget, each fiscal year.  I also wrote a provision in the legislative authorization for the dredging of Boston Harbor to require studies on noise and air pollution relating to the expansion of Conley Terminal and Black Falcon Terminal.

In collaboration with the City of Boston, I helped draft An Act Concerning Long-Term Homeowners in the City of Boston, which was signed into law in 2016.  The legislation provides relief to long time home-owners on a fixed income who struggle to keep up with rising housing costs, by authorizing the City of Boston to defer real estate taxes for residents 55 years of age or older who have lived in their home for at least ten years and meet certain income requirements.

In 2017, I joined the Department of Public Utilities as a hearing officer.  In that role, I was responsible for holding public and evidentiary hearings to develop a full and complete record on which to base legal decisions.

Turning to my family background, I am proud that my family has a long history of service and giving back to our community.  Both of my grandfathers honorably served our country.  My grandfather on my mother’s side, Chester Theodore, proudly served in the United States Navy in the Pacific Theater of World War II.  On my father’s side, my grandfather, James Biele, served in the United States Merchant Marines.  My grandmother, Barbara Biele, or “Mrs. Biele” as she was known to many of her students, taught for many years at St. Brigid School.

Following their example, I have done my best to be a dedicated and contributing member of our community.  For the last eight years, I have been an active mentor in the Labouré Center’s T.E.A.M. Program, which helps youth in our neighborhoods.  I have been matched with the same young man throughout my time with the program.  During our time together, he re-enrolled in school, received his High School Equivalency Credential, and recently secured a job.  I have also volunteered to help train new mentors for the program by sharing my experiences.  For my contributions to the program, I received a “Hero Among Us Award” from the Boston Celtics. 

In addition to mentoring, I am an advisory board member for the Edgerley Family South Boston Boys and Girls Club and a board member for the Harry McDonough Sailing Center.  More recently, I have been involved with the South Boston Special Kids and Young Adults Program. 

In terms of hobbies, I have run several marathons, raising almost $20,000 for charity for causes like Boston Children’s Hospital, the American Liver Foundation, and Massachusetts General Hospital’s Run to Home Base. 

In the weeks and months ahead, I look forward to meeting residents and neighbors, both new and old, sharing stories about our individual backgrounds, shared experiences, and discussing how to improve the quality of life for all in our community. 

Thanks for reading and I hope to see you around the neighborhood!

-David Biele